Atiku Attacks Tinubu's Fuel Subsidy Removal as Economic Failure

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar launched a sharp critique of President Bola Tinubu's handling of fuel subsidy removal on Friday, describing the administration's approach as economically flawed and damaging to Nigerian citizens. Through his spokesperson Phrank Shaibu, Atiku argued that while the government eliminated the subsidy structure, it failed to address underlying inefficiencies in the petroleum sector, leaving Nigerians to absorb the resulting costs.

Atiku's statement responded directly to Tinubu's earlier dismissal of his proposed petroleum-sector intervention as economically ignorant. The former Vice President countered that Tinubu lacked credibility on economic matters given the administration's track record.

He pointed to the combination of subsidy removal, foreign exchange market liberalisation, and subsequent inflation increases as evidence that current policies have deepened the cost-of-living crisis despite government revenues increasing. As part of his positioning ahead of the 2027 presidential election, Atiku has proposed a targeted subsidy mechanism to ease pressure on fuel and living costs.

According to reporting across multiple outlets, he framed this as a production-support approach rather than a return to the previous subsidy regime. The proposal has drawn criticism from both the Tinubu administration and some economists, who argue against reinstating subsidy structures.

Energy sector experts quoted in the coverage have called for a different approach: channelling the savings from subsidy removal into direct investments in healthcare, education, infrastructure, electricity generation, and domestic refining capacity. This alternative perspective suggests disagreement exists not only between political opponents but also within policy circles about how to address Nigeria's fuel and energy challenges following the subsidy decision.