President Bola Tinubu has ruled out a return to petrol subsidy, saying Nigeria cannot afford to reverse the policy after his administration removed it on his first day in office.
Tinubu made the declaration on Monday in Abuja during an event tagged ‘An Evening with the Original City Boy’, where he likened the country’s economic reforms to the biblical and Quranic account of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt.
“You cannot ask Moses to go back to Egypt,” the President said, insisting that Nigeria must continue moving forward rather than return to its past.
Tinubu defended the removal of the petrol subsidy, arguing that the government could no longer sustain the cost without risking the country’s finances.
“I came and I removed subsidy the first day. No, Nigeria will go bankrupt. It has nothing left to pay subsidy,” he said.
The President also criticised political opponents promising to restore the subsidy, maintaining that the country must not reverse course on the policy.
Referring to the story of Moses and Musa leaving Egypt and facing the challenge of the Red Sea, Tinubu said the country must overcome its present difficulties instead of returning to previous policies.
He called on his supporters, particularly young people, to defend his administration’s policies through engagement and ideas ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Compete with your ideas,” he told the audience.
Tinubu also urged young supporters to mobilise voters across campuses, markets and villages, asking them to encourage eligible Nigerians to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
“Make sure every young person you know has a PVC and use it. Tell them what we have done and tell them what we will do,” he said.
The President said his administration would continue to pursue new ideas to move the country forward, adding: “With your energy of support, never will we go back to Egypt.”
