Okonkwo Defends Atiku's Petrol Subsidy Proposal Against Tinubu

Kenneth Okonkwo, the spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar's 2027 presidential campaign, addressed President Bola Tinubu's criticism regarding Atiku's proposal to restore petrol subsidy. During an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Okonkwo clarified that Atiku is not advocating a return to the previous subsidy regime, which was marred by corruption and opaque fuel importation practices.

Atiku, the ADC presidential candidate, had stated that he would restore petrol subsidy if elected in 2027, while accusing the Tinubu administration of failing to account for savings from the subsidy removal. Tinubu criticized Atiku's proposal as indicative of "serious ignorance of governance and economy." In response, Okonkwo emphasized that Atiku's plan, termed the Atiku Fuel Affordability Plan (AFAP), is designed to make fuel more affordable for Nigerians by leveraging local refining capacity and ensuring crude oil is available to domestic refineries at fair prices.

He argued that the previous subsidy system was associated with corruption due to reliance on imported petrol and inflated costs, and that Atiku's approach would differ fundamentally from that.