Atiku Challenges Tinubu on Fuel Costs, Cites Global Price Disparities

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has escalated his criticism of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's handling of Nigeria's fuel prices, using a statement released through his Senior Special Assistant Phrank Shaibu to draw comparisons between what Nigerians pay at petrol pumps and prices in other oil-producing countries. The exchange marks a continuation of economic policy disputes between the two figures ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Atiku's camp contends that the central problem facing Nigeria is not personal conflict between political figures but the inability of millions of ordinary Nigerians to purchase basic necessities. According to the statement, Tinubu devoted substantial portions of recent remarks to attacking economic proposals without directly naming Atiku, though Shaibu characterized the response as implicitly targeting the former vice president's push for lower fuel costs.

Atiku's position centers on questioning why Nigerians face significantly higher energy costs compared to citizens of nations that also produce oil. He has characterized the Tinubu administration's current stance as offering temporary political relief without addressing deeper cost-of-living pressures that have accumulated over time.

Shaibu's statement further demanded greater transparency regarding government finances and questioned whether benefits have materialized from the subsidy removal policy. The Tinubu administration has not released a direct response to these latest assertions as of the time these reports were filed.

The fuel price debate has become a defining point of tension in Nigerian politics, with both sides framing their positions as responses to the other's statements rather than independent policy announcements.