Atiku Lambasts Tinubu, Says 30-Day Fuel Discount Is Panic-Driven Publicity Stunt
By The Analyst Online Media
ABUJA, NIGERIA — Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has sharply criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration over its proposed 30-day petrol discount, describing the measure as a “panic-driven publicity stunt” that offers Nigerians only temporary relief from the country’s deepening cost-of-living crisis.
Atiku’s position was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council.
The Federal Government had announced that petrol dispensed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) would be sold at a discount for an initial 30 days, with priority given to public transport operators nationwide.
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, said the arrangement was not a return to petrol subsidy, explaining that the government would enable NNPCL to sell the product at cost during the period.
But Atiku rejected the intervention, arguing that a one-month discount could not resolve the broader economic hardship confronting households and businesses.
He described the measure as an “election-laced subsidy package”, questioning what would happen once the 30-day period expires.
“What happens on Day 31? Nigerians wake up to the same brutal prices, the same punishing transport fares and the same rising cost of food,” Atiku said.
According to him, the government cannot provide temporary relief for 30 days and expect Nigerians to consider the wider economic crisis resolved.
Atiku further questioned the scope of the policy, noting that the discount would initially be restricted to NNPCL stations. He also demanded clarity on how much motorists would actually save per litre and how the government would ensure that any savings enjoyed by transport operators are transferred to passengers through reduced fares.
The former Vice President accused the Tinubu administration of introducing the measure after Nigerians had endured prolonged increases in fuel, transportation and food costs.
He argued that the government's latest intervention amounted to a political response to an economic crisis rather than a sustainable solution.
“This is not an economic plan but a political bandage on a wound the government had helped create,” Atiku said.
Atiku also linked the government's latest policy to his proposal for capped and budgeted production support tied to petrol refined domestically, with safeguards to ensure that consumers benefit while local refining is encouraged.
He maintained that Nigerians require a sustainable reduction in the cost of living rather than a temporary measure that expires after one month.
“Nigerians need lasting relief, not a countdown to the return of hardship,” he said.
The former Vice President's criticism adds a fresh political dimension to the Federal Government's attempt to respond to rising fuel and transportation costs, with the 2027 general elections increasingly featuring in the debate over economic policy and relief measures.
Atiku concluded by reiterating his pledge to pursue policies aimed at making life more affordable for Nigerians, declaring: “Tinubu made life expensive. I will make life affordable again.”