President Bola Tinubu has ruled out a return to petrol subsidy, insisting he has no regrets about removing it and will not reverse his administration’s economic reforms despite the hardship they have caused Nigerians.
Tinubu made the declaration on Monday at a political gathering, “Together till 2027: An Evening with Original City Boy”, held at the Old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Responding to opposition calls for the restoration of petrol subsidy, the President likened Nigeria’s economic reforms to the biblical account of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt, insisting that his administration would not turn back.
“You cannot ask Moses to go back to Egypt. We wake up with ideas, original thoughts and deep thinking to move this country forward. With your energy and support, we will never go back to Egypt,” he said.
The event was organised by the City Boy Movement, a political group mobilising support for Tinubu’s re-election, in collaboration with the “Relax, Tinubu Is Fixing Nigeria” movement.
Acknowledging the difficulties Nigerians had faced over the past three years, Tinubu said his administration had taken tough decisions to address the country’s economic challenges and put the economy on a sustainable path.
“The road we have walked these past three years has not been easy. We took hard decisions,” he said.
The President said his administration inherited substantial financial obligations, including outstanding payments to airlines, which it had to settle.
He also criticised Nigeria’s reliance on borrowing and printing money to meet its financial obligations, arguing that the country could not borrow its way to greatness.
Tinubu highlighted his administration’s tax reforms and efforts to improve access to university education, recalling his promise to tackle the recurring strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities that have repeatedly disrupted academic activities in public institutions.
He said more than one million students had benefited from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund following the signing of the Student Loan Act, which provides financial assistance to eligible students pursuing higher education.
The President thanked young supporters for defending his administration’s policies in their communities, on university campuses and across social media, particularly when the reforms attracted widespread criticism.
He also praised the City Boy Movement for building a grassroots political network spanning states, local government areas, wards and polling units.
According to him, the group operates a call centre to engage young Nigerians and runs a community outreach programme, City Boy Care, to connect with members at the grassroots.
“You did not just gather people. You built a structure with millions of real, verifiable members,” Tinubu said.
The President also commended his son, Seyi Tinubu, the movement’s patron, for mobilising young people and organising them without seeking a political title or public office.
“You did it humbly. You did not ask for a title or an office. You went to the young people, your age mates, your group. You listened to them and organised them,” he said.
Tinubu urged Seyi and other members of the movement to deepen their community engagement and set an example for future generations, assuring young Nigerians that they would have a stake in the country’s future.
“The future this country does not belong to me, and it does not belong to my generation. It belongs to you,” he said.
With the 2027 general elections approaching, the President urged members of the movement to mobilise eligible young Nigerians to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and participate in the polls.
He also called for issue-based campaigning, urging supporters to explain his administration’s achievements and plans to voters rather than rely solely on political slogans.
“Nigeria must win this election before any candidate does. You are not campaigning for me. You are campaigning for your own future,” Tinubu said.
