Presidential candidate of Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the February 25 election, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has urged Nigerians to brace up because the government of President Bola Tinubu would yet take more difficult decisions, besides removal of subsidy on petrol.

“That’s democracy for you; if you decide to take a particular road, whatever traffic you meet on the road is your choice, because you had been given different roads that you could have taken,” he said.

He told Nigerians: “It is too early to cry because there are more difficult decisions government will have to make. Having taken this path of neo-liberal economic policies, there are many choices they have to make along the way. Not all those choices will make the people happy.

“But people should bear in mind; it is a social contract they have signed with the government, and if they face any difficulties along the way, they can bring it to the attention of the government. But they should not assume that they had no role to play in it. That’s democracy; that is how we learn.”

Adebayo described last week’s protest by Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) as unnecessary, saying removal of subsidy was part of campaign promises Tinubu and All Progressives Congress, Peoples Democratic Party, and Labour Party (LP) made to Nigerians before the elections.

According to him, what labour should do now is help the Tinubu administration to succeed. Adebayo said possibility of the Port Harcourt refinery beginning operations by December is mere aspiration, affirming it would not happen. According to him, “all those ‘calming down’ talks are just a way of calming the people down.”

He said the Dangote refinery, expected to start operations in August or September, will also not be ready, as former President Muhammadu Buhari was merely accorded the honour of commissioning it.

“They just wanted him to have that sense of achievement that the refinery took place during his time. I can tell you that I don’t see that refinery producing anything this year; maybe towards the end of this year or early next year,” he said.

Adebayo maintained that when it starts operation, it would not crash the price of fuel, adding: “Even if we produce locally, the only way we can reduce the cost, here, is if logistics is easier. So, there is no time the price of petrol is guaranteed.”