Former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi: 2012 Fuel Subsidy Protests Were Political.
Abuja, Nigeria – The former governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, has made a striking statement, describing the widespread protests against the removal of fuel subsidy during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration in 2012 as mere political maneuvering.
In a keynote address delivered on Tuesday, September 5, in Abuja at a national dialogue held to celebrate the 60th birthday of Prof Udenta Udenta, the founding national secretary of Alliance for Democracy (AD) and a fellow of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Fayemi expressed his views on the events of 2012.
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Recalling the significant announcement made by then-President Goodluck Jonathan on January 1, 2012, when he adjusted the pump price of petrol from N65 per litre to N141 by removing fuel subsidy, Fayemi emphasized that this decision triggered massive protests known as ‘Occupy Nigeria’ in major cities across the country.
Fayemi’s remarks came as he addressed contemporary challenges facing Nigeria, focusing on the necessity of proportional representation in politics. He argued that the nation’s problems cannot be resolved unless the country embraces a system where election spoils are shared proportionally among contestants.
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Highlighting the divisive nature of adversary politics, Fayemi urged Nigerians to consider proportional representation, wherein political parties would gain a share of the government commensurate with their electoral performance. He stated, “Adversary politics bring division and enmity.”
Furthermore, Fayemi touched on the consensus among political parties in Nigeria in 2012 regarding the need to remove the fuel subsidy. He mentioned that all parties, including the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), to which he belonged at the time, acknowledged the necessity of subsidy removal. However, he suggested that this agreement was influenced by political considerations.
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The national dialogue, which featured notable attendees such as former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Minister of Education Oby Ezekwesili, and former Minister of Aviation Osita Chidoka, provided a platform for discussing crucial political and social issues in Nigeria, further emphasizing the importance of alternative political approaches in the country’s evolving political landscape.
