Jonathan’s protest against the removal of subsidies was entirely political, according to Fayemi

The former governor of Ekiti State asserted that adversarial politics sow discord and animosity.

On Tuesday, Kayode Fayemi, a former governor of Ekiti State, branded the Occupy Nigeria demonstration in 2012 against the possibility of removing the petrol subsidy as being “politically” motivated.

Fayemi spoke as he gave the keynote presentation at the 60th birthday celebration of Prof. Udenta Udenta, the founding National Secretary of the Alliance for Democracy and Fellow of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought.

Former President Jonathan, former Education Minister Oby Ezekwesili, and former Aviation Minister Osita Chidoka were among those present at the event.

“Today, I read former President Olusegun Obasanjo‘s interview in TheCable, and I agree with him that our liberal democracy is ineffective and that we need to reexamine it,” Fayemi stated. The political choices must be abandoned. I believe that’s where we’re heading soon.

“What we need is alternative politics, and by alternative politics, in my opinion, you can’t win with 35% of the vote and take 100%. No, it won’t work! In order for the party that supposedly received 21% of the vote to control 21% of the government, proportional representation must be considered. Division and animosity result from adversary politics.

“All of the political parties in the nation agreed, and they even said in their platform that subsidies must be eliminated. We all agreed that subsidies must be eliminated. We in ACN (Action Congress of Nigeria) knew the facts at the time, in 2012, but it was all political.

“So, by stopping all of these, we must make sure that everyone is an important stakeholder. Put the PDP, APC, and Labour Party manifestos on the table, and choose from all parties the people who will run the programme.

The withdrawal of the petrol subsidy and the increase in the pump price from N65 to N141 were both announced by Jonathan in January 2012.

Fayemi and some former ACN leaders led a national demonstration against the change, which forced a readjustment of the price to N97.

After joining forces with other parties, the ACN later changed its name to the All Progressives Congress (APC), which gave birth to President Bola Tinubu, who ended the petrol subsidy on May 29, 2023. The cost of petrol per litre was N184 prior to the removal, and it increased to N600 following the removal.