Faults outright removal of fuel subsidy, cautions on rescue measures
After much tongue-wagging, National Chairman of Social Democratic Party (SDP), Shehu Musa Gabam, has denied speculations that the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, was planning to defect to his party.
He noted that the ex-governor’s recent visit to the national secretariat of the opposition party only confirmed changing times. Gabam said his relationship with El-Rufai predated 1999, wondering why Nigerians would misinterpret or interpret it the way that suits them.
Speaking on a live programme yesterday, the SDP chair stressed that el-Rufai’s trip should not be misinterpreted. The Kaduna native’s recent ‘romance’ with opposition figures had generated defection speculation and unsettled the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
El-Rufai who is an APC chieftain and was instrumental to President Bola Tinubu’s emergence at the 2023 general elections, had also visited former Nigerian leaders, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB), Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari in their homes.
Gabam maintained that President Tinubu or the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, could visit his party’s secretariat because they are friends.
He explained: “Sometimes when you listen to these debates in the public space, you wonder where the brouhaha is coming from. What is the genesis of it?
“First and foremost, my relationship with Mallam Nasir el-Rufai predates 1999. I knew him long before then, and we have been close. I don’t know why his coming to the SDP secretariat is so special that people misinterpret or interpret how it suits them. There are a lot of politicians of the APC that have visited me, and other parties have visited too.
“Do not forget that not too long ago, Al-Mustapha came to my office, and people were speculating that he is decamping to SDP. Will you be surprised if President Bola Tinubu visits SDP? He knows me, and I know him. Will you be surprised if the National Security Adviser, who happens to be my brother and friend, visits me?
“I am not surprised that people are talking about SDP. A lot of people need to understand that the dynamics are shifting, a lot of interests are keying in, and of course, that will not stop people from discussing. As for some of us who are career politicians, we understand the difference between relationship and political interest. We value relationships more than political interest. Political interest can shift, but the relationship remains.”
Gabam added that chieftains had visited the former governor in his home to break the Ramadan fast before he reciprocated with a visit to the party’s secretariat.
On the economy, the chairman said the President should have adopted a gradual removal of the petrol subsidy because the country was experiencing several challenges at the time.
He stated that Tinubu would have formed his cabinet first, sought their input, began with five per cent removal and observed the impact to inform the next step to take.
“The country is suffering from food supply, insecurity and banditry. Then you removed 400 per cent subsidy, there is no way you wouldn’t have gone through what you went through. That was too sudden,” Gabam submitted.
The SDP chief said in the last week, he saw attempts by the government to revive the economy, stating that the measures could worsen prevailing inflation on account of the current interest rate.
