The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has said President Bola Tinubu should remain in office beyond 2027 to sustain and consolidate the reforms introduced by his administration.

Alake, Lead Spokesperson of the 2027 All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, spoke during an interactive session with journalists in Abuja on Wednesday.

He defended the removal of the fuel subsidy, saying the policy had freed resources for infrastructure development and other government responsibilities across the country.

According to Alake, Tinubu “took the bullet” by removing the subsidy despite being aware that the decision could have political consequences ahead of the 2027 election.

He said previous administrations recognised the economic distortions created by the subsidy system but lacked the political will to address them.

“If a man who is a politician himself, who should be very sensitive to elections coming back to office, decided to take the bullet, regardless of the consequences on his own political career, on behalf of the nation, because the nation had to be reset, I think it’s just very, very important for us to appreciate that. And that is the kind of person that Nigeria needs for consistency,” Alake said.

The minister acknowledged the difficulties associated with the reforms but argued that major economic decisions often come with short-term hardship.

He also attributed opposition to the subsidy removal partly to oil cartels that allegedly profited from the system.

“The beneficiaries of the fuel subsidy were the oil cartels. They would buy the fuel at a lower price, cross the border, immediately make humongous profits and come back to Nigeria to oppress the rest of us,” he said.

Alake recalled that before the Tinubu administration, more than 18 states struggled to meet salary obligations, while the Federal Government also borrowed to meet its financial commitments.

He said funds previously committed to the subsidy could now be channelled into infrastructure and other productive sectors of the economy.

The minister cited the student loan scheme as another benefit of the reforms, saying it had allowed students to access funding for tuition and receive monthly allowances.

“That is the trickle-down effect. Now, students have access to loans. So the issue of my dropping out of school because my parents cannot afford it is no longer there,” he said.

Ahead of the 2027 election, Alake urged Nigerians to examine the records of presidential candidates, particularly their performance in previous public offices.

He challenged former governors, vice-presidents and other political figures seeking the presidency to point to concrete achievements from their previous positions that would justify their bids for the country’s highest office.

Alake also dismissed concerns over the composition of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, describing it as an internal party structure without a direct role in government policy.

“It is just an internal mechanism of the party. So whether the list is being adjusted, tinkered with, or not is an internal matter of the party,” he said.

He said voters should instead focus on the party’s campaign messaging, manifesto, policies and projections rather than the individuals listed on the campaign council.