Young Progressives Party (YPP) presidential aspirant Peter Agada has criticised the implementation of President Bola Tinubu’s fuel subsidy removal, arguing that the reform should have been introduced gradually rather than on the administration’s first day in office.
According to Daily Post on Friday, July 17, 2026, Agada said he supports the principle of removing fuel subsidies but believes the government failed to adequately prepare Nigerians for the economic hardship that followed.
He argued that a phased implementation would have given the government time to introduce social intervention programmes, improve public transportation, and establish other relief measures to cushion the impact on households and businesses.
Agada described subsidy removal as a major economic reform requiring careful planning because of its wide-ranging effects on the cost of living and the economy. He added that while such reforms align with global economic practices and are often encouraged by international financial institutions, governments must balance economic restructuring with the welfare of citizens.
“I would not have removed the subsidy on my first day in office the way Tinubu did. I would have had a plan,” Agada said.
