Atiku Vows to Restore Petrol Subsidy If Elected President
By Nafiu Muhammad Lema
Former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has pledged to restore petrol subsidy if elected president in the 2027 general election.
Atiku made the promise during a live Hausa interview on Wednesday, while questioning the Federal Government’s accountability over the funds and resources generated following the removal of the petrol subsidy.
The former vice-president said he did not oppose the decision to remove the subsidy but argued that the government had failed to adequately account for the resulting savings.
According to him, the resources were expected to be invested in reducing poverty, improving education, addressing insecurity and creating opportunities for young Nigerians.
Atiku said his administration would reintroduce the subsidy and ensure that those responsible for allegedly mismanaging or diverting public funds are held accountable.
He maintained that subsidy removal could have been beneficial if the savings had been transparently deployed to national development.
The former vice-president’s position comes against the backdrop of the Federal Government’s claim that the removal of petrol subsidy has significantly increased resources available to the federation.
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, said on Wednesday that the reforms had generated about N15.8 trillion in additional resources for the federation between June 2023 and December 2025.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced the removal of petrol subsidy during his inaugural address on May 29, 2023, a decision that immediately triggered a sharp increase in petrol prices and contributed to higher living costs nationwide.
While several state governors have acknowledged increased monthly allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) following the subsidy removal, Atiku has continued to demand greater transparency on how the additional resources are being utilised.
