President Bola Tinubu has ruled out reversing his administration’s removal of petrol subsidy, using the biblical and Quranic account of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt to dismiss opposition calls for the policy’s reinstatement.

Tinubu, who scrapped the subsidy on his inauguration day in May 2023, said his political opponents could not expect him to reverse a decision he considers necessary for Nigeria’s economic direction.

“I listen to my political opponents promising the return of subsidy. I remember my scripture studies in either the Bible or the Holy Quran. When Moses left Egypt, they faced the challenge; the Red Sea parted and gave way. You cannot ask Moses to go back to Egypt,” the president said.

The remark directly challenges the positions of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, who have criticised the government’s economic policies as Nigerians continue to grapple with rising living costs.

For Tinubu, the comparison with Moses presents subsidy removal as a difficult but necessary departure from the past, with the hardships that followed framed as challenges to be overcome rather than reasons to reverse course.

The policy has remained one of the most contentious decisions of his administration. Its removal led to a sharp increase in petrol prices, adding to transportation, food and other household expenses and intensifying public debate over the cost of economic reforms.

Atiku and Obi have made the economic difficulties facing Nigerians part of their opposition to the administration, with the subsidy question emerging as a major point of disagreement ahead of the 2027 general election.

Atiku, who is identified in the report as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for 2027, has called for political change, citing hunger, insecurity and rising costs. Obi, named as the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, has also opposed the government’s handling of the economy.

The disagreement places the future of fuel subsidy among the issues likely to shape the coming election contest, with the opposition pressing for a different approach and Tinubu defending his decision against calls for a reversal.

Tinubu’s latest comments make his position clear: his administration does not intend to return to the former subsidy arrangement, despite the economic pressures that have kept the policy at the centre of public criticism.