Atiku Challenges Tinubu to Resign Ahead of 2027 Election

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate for the African Democratic Congress, has directly challenged President Bola Tinubu to resign before the 2027 election or face defeat. In a statement from his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku also called for an apology from Tinubu for mocking his production-linked fuel subsidy proposal.

This statement follows a recent call from the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) for financial support to domestic refiners to reduce petrol prices. Atiku criticized Tinubu's removal of the subsidy in 2023, arguing that his proposal focuses on targeted government support for local petroleum production.

He highlighted that Nigeria ranks 91st globally in fuel affordability, with an average worker needing about 44 minutes of labor to buy one litre of petrol. Atiku invited IPMAN to collaborate on a transparent support framework for domestic refining, emphasizing that this initiative is not about aiding the current administration but about establishing a new energy direction for 2027.