Atiku Abubakar and Others Reject Tinubu's Petrol Discount Plan

Four prominent opposition voices have publicly rejected the Nigerian government's 30-day petrol discount plan, which was announced by Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited will sell petrol at cost price by temporarily foregoing its profit margin.

The government stated that this initiative aims to alleviate the impact of global crude oil price shocks on households and is not a restoration of the fuel subsidy removed on May 29, 2023. Atiku Abubakar, through a statement from the African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council's Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, criticized the policy as a "panic-driven publicity stunt." He raised concerns about the discount being limited to NNPC filling stations, the lack of a confirmed per-litre discount figure, and the uncertainty of whether transport operators would pass savings to commuters.

The Obidient Movement and the Democratic Congress also rejected the plan, labeling it as tokenism and inadequate in addressing the economic hardships faced by Nigerians since the subsidy removal. Energy experts provided mixed assessments regarding the potential relief offered by the discount.