A VIRAL post on social media attributes a statement regarding petrol subsidy removal to Oyo State governor Seyi Makinde.
Makinde is the serving governor of Oyo State and is currently serving his second term, having first assumed office in May 2019. He has since crossed over to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) party, which adopted him as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
The claim, posted by a verified X user @IU_Wakilii with the caption:
“Tinubu Removes Petrol Subsidy to Enrich Himself and Governors While the Masses Suffer, Says Governor Makinde”
As of 8 September 2026, the post has gained over 309,000 views, 4,300 likes, and 1,400 reposts.
READ: Video does not show Nigerian troops neutralising Oyo kidnappers
CLAIM
Governor Seyi Makinde claimed that President Bola Tinubu removed petrol subsidy to enrich himself and state governors while the masses suffer.
FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.
The FactCheckHub reviewed statements made by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde on petrol pricing and subsidy policy to determine whether he said President Bola Tinubu removed the petrol subsidy to enrich himself and state governors.
The FactCheckHub traced Makinde’s comments to the September 2026 edition of his official newsletter, The Business of Governance, and compared his remarks with the claim circulating online. His comments were also reported by news outlets, including Daily Trust and Sahara Reporters.
In his comments, Makinde called for a fundamental rethink of Nigeria’s petroleum pricing system, arguing that citizens should not bear additional financial burdens because of the government’s failure to secure the country’s borders, which allows fuel smuggling to remain profitable.
He said securing Nigeria’s borders is the responsibility of the government and that the cost of its failure to do so should not be passed on to citizens.
At no point in the newsletter did Makinde state that President Tinubu removed the petrol subsidy to “enrich himself and governors while the masses suffer.” Rather, he argued that the fuel subsidy debate had been wrongly reduced to a binary choice between subsidising petrol and charging the full market price. He instead called for greater transparency in crude oil benchmarks, refining costs, distribution expenses and other components of the petroleum pricing system.
READ ALSO: Old 2023 footage of Tinubu’s national address falsely shared as recent (UPDATED)
VERDICT
The claim that Seyi Makinde said President Bola Tinubu removed the petrol subsidy to enrich himself and state governors while the masses suffer is FALSE. Makinde’s published comments show that he criticised Nigeria’s petroleum pricing framework and the government’s handling of border security but did not make the statement attributed to him.
Seasoned writer and literary curator, Zainab Abdulrasaq is a factchecker for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached on IG @blackbookishgirl or zabdulrasaq@icirnigeria.org
