Politics
Fuel Subsidy: Keyamo Plays Devil’s Advocate Between NLC And Peter Obi
Festus Keyamo (SAN), the All Progressives Congress, APC Presidential Campaign Council’s Director of Media and Public Affairs, has tasked the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other left-wing supporters of the Labour Party (LP) to come clean on their position on Peter Obi’s pledge to remove fuel subsidies if elected.
The challenge was against the historic opposition of organised Labour to fuel subsidy removal.
To buttress his point he said, “We note that on Monday, September 13, 2022, at a national retreat of the Labour Party in Abuja, the leadership of organized labor under the aegis of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) promised to mobilize its members across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas to ensure victory for Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, in next year’s presidential election.
“We also note that, in several interviews over the last few months and weeks, Mr. Peter Obi has vowed to eliminate all gasoline subsidies if elected President. We also take note of the NLC’s long-standing opposition to the elimination of all fuel subsidies. Other Labour Party supporters on the left were also present to cheer on Mr. Peter Obi”, said Keyamo (SAN).
He demands that the NLC leadership must urgently respond to the following questions:
- Did the NLC leadership discuss the removal of fuel subsidies with Mr. Peter Obi before endorsing him as its candidate?
- If that discussion took place, did Mr. Peter Obi agree to back down on the issue of subsidy removal? Was that a reason to back him up? Did organized Labour agree with him if he refused to back down on the issue?
- If no such discussion took place, does this imply that the NLC’s leadership now fully supports the elimination of fuel subsidies? Or will the NLC be reckless in endorsing a candidate without thoroughly questioning him on his policies as they affect Nigerian workers or the masses? The NLC must issue a public statement and be transparent about this.
- If the excuse is that Mr. Peter Obi has stated that the money saved will be used in other critical areas of the economy, how does this differ from what the Buhari administration has stated?
He also remarked that these questions have become necessary because Nigerians have a right to know whether organised Labour’s adopted party, the Labour Party, supports and promotes a policy that the Labour leadership opposes in the same breath when it is implemented by the government of the day. They can’t be blowing hot and cold at the same time.
“As our Council supports issue-based campaigns, we urge all members of the 4th Estate of the Realm to thoroughly interrogate the NLC and the Labour Party on the one hand, and the seemingly right-leaning supporters of the Labour Party and Mr. Peter Obi on the other, on this issue, so that they can come clean in front of Nigerians”, he added.
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