The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has again tackled President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his recent charge to governors to make transportation cheaper for Nigerians.
Recall that Tinubu hosted governors from across Nigeria on Thursday.
He ordered the establishment of 500 more Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, stations and urged governors to ensure cheaper transportation fares.
Reacting, Atiku, in a statement signed by his media team on Friday, said it was too late for President Tinubu to be making promises about alleviating the suffering of Nigerians after three years in office.
According to Atiku, Tinubu’s latest move is a desperate and belated response to a cost-of-living crisis created by his own government.
“The truth is simple: Nigeria cannot afford another four years of monumental failure.
“Cheaper fuel should result in cheaper fares” is a confession that the administration’s energy policy has been fundamentally disconnected from the daily survival of Nigerians.
“For more than three years, Nigerians begged this government for relief. Tinubu removed the subsidy without a credible cushioning framework, watched transport costs explode, watched food prices follow, watched businesses suffocate under crushing energy costs, and repeatedly told Nigerians that their suffering was the unavoidable price of reform,” he stated.
Recall that Atiku had proposed the return of fuel subsidies if he is elected in 2027.
However, Tinubu’s presidency and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, had dismissed Atiku’s plan as a “cheap” political gimmick.
In a recent interview with the BBC, Atiku promised to remove all borders in the northern part of Nigeria and make southern ports functional.