Rabiu Kwankwaso, presidential running mate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has blamed President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy, for what he described as Nigeria’s current economic crisis.
Kwankwaso said the decision to remove the petrol subsidy immediately after Tinubu assumed office in 2023 was implemented without adequate measures to cushion its impact on Nigerians. 
Speaking on Arise Television on Wednesday, the former New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) presidential candidate said the government should have considered the potential consequences of the policy before implementing it.
“Bola Tinubu decided to remove the subsidy and the consequences we thought would happen certainly happened,” Kwankwaso said.
According to him, the subsidy was removed abruptly without sufficient consideration of the wider economic implications.
“He removed it immediately without looking at all the possible issues. That is how we found ourselves in this total mess economically,” he said.
Tinubu announced the removal of the petrol subsidy during his inauguration at Eagle Square in Abuja on May 29, 2023, ending the subsidy regime that had kept petrol prices artificially lower but had also imposed a significant cost on government finances.
The policy was followed by a sharp increase in petrol prices, with subsequent increases contributing to higher transportation and living costs across the country.
Kwankwaso maintained that Nigerians should be able to access petrol at a more affordable price, arguing that the government should take steps to reduce the burden of fuel costs on citizens.
