Fayemi Critiques Atiku's Petrol Subsidy Proposal as Political

Former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi described Atiku Abubakar’s proposal to restore petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027 as a political strategy rather than an economic policy. During an interview with Arise TV on Monday, Fayemi compared Atiku’s proposal to the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket adopted by President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the 2023 election.

Atiku, a former vice-president, stated he would restore petrol subsidy and criticized the federal government for not accounting for savings from subsidy removal. President Tinubu criticized Atiku’s proposal as indicative of “serious ignorance” of governance and the economy.

Fayemi noted that while Atiku’s proposal could resonate with Nigerians facing economic hardship, it was fundamentally a political strategy. He supported the removal of petrol subsidy but criticized its implementation under the Tinubu administration, highlighting the lack of adequate measures to mitigate the impact on vulnerable Nigerians.

Fayemi mentioned that the Nigerian Governors’ Forum had collaborated with the federal government and the World Bank to develop a safety-net strategy for those most affected by the subsidy removal.