Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Atiku Abubakar, has clarified his position on his proposal to restore fuel subsidy if elected in 2027.
In a statement by his media team on Tuesday, Atiku said his proposal was aimed at reducing the cost of living for ordinary Nigerians.
Recall that a comment attributed to one of his media aides, Paul Ibe, had suggested that an Atiku administration, if elected, would “restore fuel subsidy and remove it later.”
However, Atiku’s media team said Ibe’s comment was “an unauthorised, imprecise and materially misleading characterisation of Atiku’s policy position,” stressing that no spokesperson has the latitude to redefine, embellish or improvise on a policy already clearly articulated by the candidate.
“For the avoidance of doubt, policy belongs to the candidate, not the spokesperson. Our responsibility as communicators is to explain Atiku’s position accurately, not create formulations capable of confusing Nigerians or handing opponents convenient talking points.
“Atiku has never proposed restoring the import-subsidy regime and subsequently removing it on some predetermined date. That is not his policy and should not be attributed to him.
“What Atiku proposes is a targeted, capped, transparently budgeted and independently audited subsidy that supports domestic refining and production, with measurable exit conditions built in from day one.
“There is no arbitrary withdrawal date. As domestic refining expands, supply stabilises, competition deepens, and the market becomes capable of delivering affordable prices without government support, the intervention progressively becomes unnecessary.
“You do not remove scaffolding because the calendar says so. You remove it when the building can stand securely on its own.”
Recall that Atiku, in an interview, had hinted at restoring fuel subsidy if elected in 2027.
However, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and President Bola Tinubu’s administration described Atiku’s proposal as a political gimmick to woo voters.
Similarly, the presidential candidates of the Nigeria Democratic Congress and Social Democratic Party, Peter Obi and Prince Adewole Adebayo, disagreed with Atiku over his fuel subsidy restoration proposal.
Recall that in May 2023, President Tinubu announced the removal of fuel subsidy with his famous “subsidy is gone” declaration. The policy pushed up fuel prices and, by extension, the cost of living.
In a breakdown of savings from the fuel subsidy removal, the Minister of Finance recently said the country mobilised N15.8 trillion from the policy decision.
2027: Atiku clarifies fuel subsidy position after aide’s ‘restore, remove later’ comment