A former Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s decision to remove petrol subsidy, saying all four major presidential candidates in the 2023 general election had promised to scrap the policy if elected.
Okowa argued that subsidy removal is not peculiar to Tinubu, insisting that the other candidates, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s Peter Obi, had also recognised the need to end the policy in the country’s economic interest.
“Any of the presidential candidates would have removed the subsidy, as they had all made that commitment in their manifestos. Tinubu only had the opportunity to implement it because he emerged as President,” he said.
Okowa spoke in Asaba when members of the Asaba Branch of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) paid him a solidarity visit ahead of the 2027 general elections.
His comments come amid renewed political debate over fuel subsidy, with Atiku recently pledging to restore it if elected president in 2027, while Tinubu has called politicians who make such promises liars.
Okowa, who was Atiku’s running mate on the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) platform in the 2023 presidential election, is seeking a return to the Senate to represent Delta North Senatorial District.
The NSE delegation, led by its branch chairman, Mr Chukwuka Ojei, pledged support for his bid for the Senate. The delegation cited the infrastructural projects his administration executed during his eight-year tenure as governor.
The engineers, who included several professional members of the society, said Okowa’s record in office deserved recognition and promised to mobilise support for him across Delta North ahead of the 2027 elections.
In his response, Okowa described engineers as dependable partners in development, recalling the cordial relationship he maintained with the profession during his tenure as governor.
He particularly acknowledged their contributions to efforts to address flooding challenges in Asaba, stressing the importance of engineering expertise in tackling infrastructure and environmental problems.
The former governor appealed to the delegation to support his senatorial ambition, expressing confidence that his experience in governance and legislative affairs would enable him to represent the district effectively.
Okowa, who represented Delta North in the Senate between 2011 and 2015, also recalled his contributions to the country’s healthcare sector, particularly his involvement in the passage of the National Health Act.
He said the legislation established an important framework for improving healthcare financing, including provisions for health insurance and dedicated funding for primary healthcare delivery.
Okowa maintained that his experience in the executive and legislative arms of government would enable him to contribute meaningfully to national development if elected to represent Delta North in the Senate again.