₦airaland Forum

The Chief Promoter of the Alternative Movement, Otunba Segun Showunmi, yesterday criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal to restore petrol subsidy, saying such a policy would amount to taking Nigeria “back to Egypt.”

Atiku, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 election, has said he would restore petrol subsidy if elected, arguing that Nigerians should benefit from the country’s resources and that the removal of the subsidy has worsened living conditions.

Speaking in Abeokuta during a sensitisation and mobilisation programme in support of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, Showunmi rejected the proposal and defended the administration’s economic direction. ExecutiveBranch

“We have tried subsidies in this country. We started starting it from 1973. And between 1973 and date, we have seen the result. If it had worked, wouldn’t we have seen it?” Showunmi asked.

“We have seen that nothing has worked. They couldn’t even repair a refinery for so many years. And one private sector person has run a refinery.”

He described proponent of the subsidy return as “overtly and inordinately ambitious”, saying is Nigeria will never return back to Egypt.

“Forward ever, backward never,” he said.

Showunmi said he had spent the past year defending what he described as the economic policies and direction of the Tinubu administration.

“If you have been following me, and I know you have, for the past one year, I have been screaming and shouting that the economic direction, the policy ideas, and the things that the President Bola Tinubu is doing, is the right direction for the country,” he said.

According to him, government revenues had improved across the three tiers of government.

“Now you have gotten to the point where there’s money in the local government, there’s money in the state, there’s money in the federal,” he said.

According to him, government revenues had improved across the three tiers of government.

“Now you have gotten to the point where there’s money in the local government, there’s money in the state, there’s money in the federal,” he said.

Showunmi also argued for continuity in governance, saying governments needed sufficient time to implement long-term economic policies.

“We cannot be changing leadership every four years. Democracy is very difficult, and the ability to be able to even run policy requires a bit of time,” he said.

Showunmi said he had begun mobilising grassroots supporters ahead of the 2027 election, including at polling-unit level.

“I’ve empowered them, I’ve told them to enter the polling unit and start the polling unit work,” he said.

He said the mobilisation would subsequently extend to the local government areas in Ogun Central.

“Thereafter, I’m going to go to each of the six local governments in Ogun Central.

“We are not social media politicians. We are not television politicians. I am a grassroots politician through and through,” he said.

On the growing opposition to Tinubu from politicians in the South, Showunmi said he was not worried. Government

“You will never see the moon and the star come out when the sun is out.

“Anybody, especially from Yoruba nation, who is calling himself anything, when the sun is out, is wasting the time,” he said.

He further said those aspiring to challenge Tinubu are “wasting their resources.”

“Anyone who says he is going to be running up and down television, deceiving himself, wasting the little resources he has, claiming that he can win presidency here, he is a joker,” he said.

“This election is Bola Tinubu’s election to win.”

Showunmi appealed to Yoruba voters to support Tinubu, warning against a situation in which the North produced more votes for the president than the South-west.

“I have come home to beg the Yoruba people that you will not be ashamed,” he said.

“Because when the election is over, and the people of North-East, and the people of North-west, and the people of North-central produce more votes than you, then where will you put your face? Therefore, it is time to work now. We are back to 2003.”

Ojuntana:
They have light in Egypt!!

helinues:
They might have better light in Egypt but currently, we are doing better than them economically. Egypt are indebted to do many financial institution as they are spending money on their new city in the desert which is even less than 50% completed

helinues:
They might have better light in Egypt but currently, we are doing better than them economically. Egypt are indebted to do many financial institution as they are spending money on their new city in the desert which is even less than 50% completed

Ojuntana:
Egypt GDP per capita 3406 Nigeria 1224
Egypt minimum wage $160 Nigeria $45
Egypt life expectancy 75 years Nigeria 55
What nonsense are you saying

helinues:
Those figures have been there for years with little improvement compared to the ride in Nigeria GDP even though our minimum wage still low.

Those are old glory

Ojuntana:
Stop typing nonsense
Nigeria's figures have been deteriorating for years under the APC
As at 2015 our GDP per capita was over 3000. Today it's less than 2000
This topic is beyond your brain capacity

helinues:
Must you always sound disrespectful when engaging with others?

The 2015 you people all referred to are period of cooked figures in Nigeria when both Fuel and dollar are heavily subsidized.

The era when there are always scarcity of fuel and dollar.

The overconfidence on things they have little details about is always annoying

Ojuntana:
Who was cooking the figures?
When last did your govt release employment numbers? Your govt have rebased GDP and inflation
They have rebased employment numbers before dumping it
Fuel subsidy has nothing to do with GDP figures
No one subsidised any dollars in 2015
Stop advertising your ignorance

helinues:
The issue is you people at the opposition are not interested in being logical in any discussion regarding Nigeria and governance.

How can you have such GDP per capital and still be borrowing money to pay ordinary workers salary?

Ojuntana:
Borrowing money is not a function of GDP per capita. It's a function of government revenue vs expenditure
Even Tinubu has borrowed money to pay salaries
Go and Google budget support loans 2025
Claiming that borrowing to pay salaries is a sign of economic stress is just ignorance. Worse is that Tinubu and Buhari even borrowed to pay loans

helinues:
Has Tinubu borrowed money to pay workers salary?

How can you claim to be economic buoyant in 2015 when both FG and states are owing workers. What such of vodoo economy is that? Would you borrow to pay ordinary workers salary if you are sincerely doing well economically?

You are really struggling to answer the logical questions I have been asking you

Ojuntana:
It seems you struggle to understand basic things
We're talking of GDP, GDP per capita, minimum wage and life expectancy of average citizens and you're here talking about payment of salaries
What is the Nexus between economic growth and development and payment of salaries which is a revenue problem
Are you ever aware that Nigeria's revenue problem has actually ballooned under Tinubu? Man has borrowed over $15bn in just 3 years. So if you're talking about borrowing to pay salaries can you explain what Tinubu has spent $15bn in borrowing in the last 3 years with no completed project?

helinues:
And I am asking you logically, how can you have such GDP per capital in 2015 compared to now and still be struggling to pay Salary, queuing for fuel, yesterday dollar is N300, this morning it's N550.

Are you insinuating that it's a sign of healthy economy to be borrowing to pay salary

Ojuntana:
Stop using the word logically. You're abusing it.
GDP per capita simply means the average worth of economic activity per individual. It has nothing to do with salaries. The US govt shutdown recently due to no money to run govt. Are you saying Nigerian economy is better off than that of US since we've not experienced a govt shutdown since 2020?
Queuing for fuel is a function of energy security not bouyant economy
It is a lie that dollar was swinging wildly between 300 to 550 in 2015. Wild swinging of dollar actually happened under Tinubu in 2023-24

helinues:
USA shutting down because of lack of money to run the government is a sign of poor governance, poor leadership just as like in Nigeria's case during GEJ cooking figures which are not reflecting in the economy.

The projects this government have been embarking on, had GEJ done half of them in reality not on papers, things would have improved than this

You can't even define what good governance should look like. Trump that has been wasting USA money to be fighting senseless wars in abroad, why won't they run out of cash for the government to function

How are the wars the USA have been getting involved with benefits ordinary USA citizens?

Ojuntana:
At least you've come to realize now that ability to pay salary by a govt is not an indicator of a bouyant economy.

There's no project that Tinubu or his alter ego Buhari embarked on that GEJ didn't as well. There only reason you didn't know about that of GEJ was because you were too brainwashed to hate his govt while now you're sycophants to this govt which is why everything looks like some miracle to you. For example, this govt is yet to complete any project in 3 years of being in office outside of the looting projects going on in FCT.

helinues:
The country struggling to pay salary will eventually run out cash to run the government.

Why are you arguing blindly all in the name of opposing the government of president Tinubu.

Imagine the way he has been justifying owning salary and USA unable to function because of lack of money which both are due to bad governance, poor policies and terrible leadership

helinues:
Those figures have been there for years with little improvement compared to the ride in Nigeria GDP even though our minimum wage still low.

Those are old glory