The founder and convener of the Obailukan Strategic Support Group for Atiku (OSSAT), Honourable Toyin Anibire Adams aka Obailukan, has questioned what ordinary Nigerians have gained from the removal of fuel subsidy by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a statement made available to his media executive, Comrade James Onifade, on Wednesday, Obailukan said the rising cost of living has become impossible to ignore, noting that petrol, transportation, food, house rent, electricity and other basic necessities have become overwhelming for the average citizen. According to him, since President Tinubu announced the removal of fuel subsidy in May 2023, the price of petrol has skyrocketed, dragging the general cost of living with it and turning simple movement to work, market, school or business places into a serious financial burden.
He lamented that the hardship is not limited to commercial bus users, as many private car owners now find it difficult to fuel their vehicles regularly, with some parking their cars at home because they cannot keep up with the cost. “That is why this matter should not be narrowed to whether a particular big man boarded okada or drove his car. The bigger concern is the everyday Nigerian who has no other choice,” he stated.
Obailukan noted that what Nigerians are confronting goes beyond fuel price alone, as the hardship includes spiralling inflation, collapsing purchasing power, rising unemployment, high cost of doing business, unaffordable food prices and unbearable house rents. While the Tinubu government has continued to justify subsidy removal as a bold reform, he said Nigerians have every right to ask what the common man has gained from the huge sacrifice.
He argued that if government revenue has truly increased, it should reflect in better hospitals, quality schools, good roads, stable electricity, cheap transportation, decent jobs and real social support for the vulnerable.
The OSSAT boss further queried the fate of ordinary Nigerians as the country moves towards the 2027 general elections, stressing that 2027 must not be about party logo, personality cult or empty promises, but a moment to review developments since 2023. He maintained that with the current hardship, the chances of President Tinubu being voted for a second term are extremely slim.
“And that leader is no other person than Alhaji Atiku Abubakar,” he declared.
He concluded that Nigerians have the constitutional right to elect their leaders and that the decision in 2027 should be guided by facts, track records and concrete policies.
Signed: Comrade James Onifade
Media Executive, Obailukan Strategic Support Group for Atiku (OSSAT)
