FG, APC Reject Atiku's Call to Restore Petrol Subsidy

The Federal Government and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have issued warnings against any attempts to reinstate the petrol subsidy, which was abolished by President Bola Tinubu on May 29, 2023. APC National Chairman Prof Nentawe Yilwatda and Minister of Information Mohammed Idris responded to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar's proposal to restore the subsidy, arguing that such a reversal would lead to fiscal pressures and economic uncertainties.

Atiku, the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate for 2027, criticized the current government's handling of the subsidy removal, claiming that Nigerians have not benefited from the savings. He proposed a new model involving a targeted, capped subsidy for qualifying refineries.

Yilwatda described Atiku's position as a troubling policy reversal, questioning the feasibility of financing such a subsidy and the coherence of the opposition's economic program ahead of the 2027 elections.