In a candid and highly revealing disclosure that sheds new light on the inner workings of Nigeria's political leadership, the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has declared that states across the federation have fundamentally benefited from President Bola Tinubu’s landmark decision to terminate the long-standing petrol subsidy regime. The remarks, which offered an unprecedented glimpse into the initial panic and subsequent financial relief experienced by state executives, highlight a major shift in the fiscal fortunes of Nigeria's sub-national governments.
Governor AbdulRazaq, who serves as the executive governor of Kwara State, made these assertions during a high-profile gathering in Lagos. The Nigeria Governors’ Forum delegation, accompanied and led by Vice President Kashim Shettima, had paid a traditional Sallah homage to President Tinubu at his private residence. The festive occasion quickly turned into a forum for deep reflection on the administration's economic trajectory, with AbdulRazaq using the opportunity to openly review the dramatic events surrounding the May 29, 2023, announcement that altered the nation's economic landscape.
Reflecting on the immediate aftermath of President Tinubu's inaugural address, during which the famous phrase "subsidy is gone" was pronounced, AbdulRazaq described the policy shift as an exceptionally bold and audacious maneuver. He recounted a fascinating, hitherto unknown backstory regarding how the nation's thirty-six state governors originally reacted with sheer terror and fierce resistance to the sudden policy implementation, before ultimately realizing its immense financial advantages.
According to the NGF Chairman, the initial news of the subsidy removal reached him while he was far away on an official assignment in Asia. He recalled that he was in China when he received urgent phone calls from both the National Security Adviser and the Director-General of the Department of State Services. The intelligence chiefs explicitly informed him that the federal government was moving forward with the total removal of the fuel subsidy and that there was absolutely no going back on the decision.
Upon receiving this security briefing, AbdulRazaq revealed that the leadership of the governors went into what he described as an absolute panic mode. He immediately dispatched urgent messages to his colleague governors across the country to apprise them of the development. The initial reaction across the political board was one of uniform resistance and dread, as none of the state executives wanted to entertain the prospect of dealing with the immediate fallout of such a volatile economic decision.
Driven by a collective desire to protect their states from anticipated civil unrest, AbdulRazaq gathered his colleagues and swiftly booked an urgent appointment with President Tinubu. The explicit objective of the meeting was to formally register the governors' vehement disagreement with the subsidy removal policy. However, the subsequent interaction with the newly inaugurated president took an unexpected turn that completely disarmed the visiting state executives.
The NGF Chairman explained that when the president invited them for dinner, the governors sat down and listened intently as Tinubu articulated his comprehensive, long-term vision for the economic survival and development of Nigeria. AbdulRazaq admitted that by the end of the president's speech, the atmosphere had shifted so dramatically that none of the governors could even bring themselves to raise the topic of their objection. He noted that the governors were left wondering whether the president had already received security reports detailing the exact reason for their visit, as his presentation seamlessly countered their unspoken fears.
Following the dinner, the dumbfounded governors returned to their lodging and collectively decided that they had no choice but to support and implement the policy. Expecting widespread civil chaos and serious riots akin to historic anti-government protests, the governors agreed to immediately summon emergency State Executive Council meetings upon returning to their respective domains. Yet, contrary to their dire administrative forecasts, the anticipated mass uprisings never materialized.
The Kwara State Governor attributed the relative calm to the fact that the entire nation was momentarily shocked into compliance by the sheer audacity and political courage displayed by the president in tackling an issue that previous administrations had consistently avoided. He acknowledged that the political bravery of the move ultimately redefined public expectations of governance.
Turning his focus to the contemporary fiscal realities, AbdulRazaq proudly announced that the bold policy has yielded extraordinary financial rewards for state administrations. He revealed that the substantial increase in revenues distributed from the Federation Account Allocation Committee, which expanded significantly after the multi-trillion naira subsidy burden was lifted, has allowed states to stabilize their fragile finances.
In a striking example of this newfound fiscal health, the governor shared that his own state of Kwara has successfully managed to reduce its total debt profile by a staggering forty percent since the policy took effect. He added that several other states across the federation have achieved similar milestones, using the enhanced revenue windfalls to completely clear their outstanding liabilities, pay long-overdue worker benefits, and fund critical infrastructural projects that had languished for years due to a lack of available cash.
