The Presidency has reacted strongly to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s pledge to restore petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027.
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, criticised the proposal, describing it as an attempt to mislead Nigerians for political gain.
Dare made the remarks in a statement on Thursday following Atiku’s declaration that he would reverse the removal of fuel subsidy if given the mandate to lead the country in 2027.
According to the presidential aide, bringing back the subsidy could undermine the economic reforms being implemented by the Tinubu administration and reverse gains the government says have been recorded since the policy was removed.
Dare argued that Nigeria needs continuity in its economic policies rather than a return to what he described as a costly and unsustainable subsidy regime.
The Presidency has repeatedly defended the removal of petrol subsidy, arguing that the policy had placed significant pressure on government finances and diverted resources that could have been used for infrastructure and other areas of development. In an August 2 response to Atiku, the State House said subsidy removal had strengthened government revenues and created greater fiscal space for investment.
However, Atiku has continued to criticise the way the reform was implemented. The African Democratic Congress presidential candidate has argued that Nigerians have borne the burden of higher fuel, transport and living costs without seeing sufficient benefits from the savings generated by subsidy removal.
The latest exchange adds another dimension to the growing political debate ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with fuel subsidy and the wider cost-of-living crisis expected to remain major issues in the campaign.
The disagreement between Atiku and the Presidency is likely to intensify as political parties and candidates begin presenting competing economic plans to Nigerians ahead of the election.
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