Video Sparks Reactions As Fayemi Says He Could Have Become Nigeria’s President

Fayemi made the remark during an interview on State Affairs, a podcast hosted by Edmund Obilo.

During the conversation, the host suggested that Fayemi might have emerged President had he remained in the race, a statement the former governor agreed with when asked directly.

In a related development, Fayemi recently compared the leadership styles of former President Goodluck Jonathan and President Tinubu regarding the removal of fuel subsidy.

Speaking at the Oxford Global Think Tank Leadership Conference in Abuja, Fayemi reflected on Nigeria’s economic reforms, governance decisions, and the political courage required to implement difficult policies.

He criticised Jonathan for failing to follow through with fuel subsidy removal during his administration, despite allegedly having the backing of several stakeholders at the time.

Fayemi revealed that many governors serving under Jonathan, including himself, privately supported subsidy removal, even though the then-opposition Action Congress of Nigeria publicly opposed the move for political reasons.

According to him, Jonathan eventually yielded to political pressure instead of pushing ahead with what he considered an economically necessary reform.

In contrast, Fayemi praised President Tinubu for taking decisive action by removing the fuel subsidy immediately after assuming office, despite the economic and political reactions that followed the decision.