President Bola Tinubu has acknowledged the intense public outcry that followed his administration's decision to remove fuel subsidies, describing the backlash as "high voltage" heat from critics.
Speaking at an interfaith Iftar with House of Representatives members on Friday, February 27 or 28, 2026, Tinubu reflected on the early resistance to his key economic reforms, ending fuel subsidies and floating the naira exchange rate in 2023.
He commended the lawmakers for standing firm: “It was very difficult at the beginning for people to realize the direction of my thinking.
But I’m glad one thing didn’t happen; with the heat from the critics, none of you came to me to say, can you reverse the removal of subsidy, or can you change the foreign exchange flotation of naira? None of you.”Tinubu continued: “You collaborated, you joined together as a team. You just gave me the inspiration to move on, because the heat was high voltage from the critics, but today, we are better off for it.”
He emphasized that Nigeria has now emerged from a difficult period, with no legislative pressure to reverse the policies.
The president used the occasion to call for constitutional amendments to establish state police, while stressing the need for safeguards to prevent misuse by governors.
The subsidy removal in May 2023 led to sharp petrol price hikes, triggering protests, labor strikes, and widespread complaints of hardship due to rising transport and living costs.
Supporters argue the move eliminated corruption in the subsidy system and redirected funds to infrastructure, health, and education.
Tinubu's remarks reaffirm his view that the reforms, though painful initially, have positioned the country for long-term economic improvement, crediting bipartisan legislative support for weathering the storm.
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