Governors, not Tinubu, should account for subsidy gains — Abiodun

Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has said state governors, rather than President Bola Tinubu, should be held responsible for explaining how funds accruing from the removal of petrol subsidy have been utilised.

Abiodun made the remark on Thursday at an All Progressives Congress (APC) rally held at the Dipo Dina International Stadium in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.

The governor argued that the financial gains from subsidy removal had largely reflected in increased allocations to state governments, which he said had enabled governors to execute infrastructure and other development projects.

“They said they want to return the subsidy. Are they mad? They were asking our leader to explain what he did with subsidy removal gains,” Abiodun said in Yoruba.

“It is we (governors) that should make such explanations because it is we, state governors, that collect the money.

“Besides, what have we been using to build roads, schools, provide good housing and incentives for farmers? Isn’t it from subsidy?”

His comments came amid an intensifying political dispute over how the savings from the removal of petrol subsidy have been deployed.

Opposition politicians, including Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), have criticised the Tinubu administration over the management of the funds and called for greater accountability.

Atiku has also promised to restore the subsidy if elected president in 2027, arguing that the current administration has failed to adequately account for the savings generated by its removal.

Tinubu, however, rejected the proposal, describing it as evidence of what he called “serious ignorance of governance and economy.” The President has also argued that some state governments were struggling to meet salary and pension obligations before his administration assumed office.

Abiodun, meanwhile, used the APC rally to dismiss the opposition’s prospects ahead of the 2027 general elections, expressing confidence that the ruling party would defeat its rivals.

“Go and tell your people that all of them are not up to one. We will defeat them mercilessly,” he said.

The debate over the financial impact of subsidy removal has continued since the policy was introduced in 2023.

On August 19, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, said the removal of the subsidy had generated N15.8 trillion for the federation between June 2023 and December 2025.