The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has asked President Bola Tinubu to apologise for adopting his fuel subsidy proposal after previously dismissing it.
Atiku spoke at a press conference after the Federal Government announced a 30-day petrol discount at Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) stations, with priority for public transport operators.
Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele said the measure was not a subsidy but an effort to sell petrol at cost.
Atiku said he proposed targeted support to reduce fuel costs in September, but the Presidency accused him of lacking knowledge of economic policy. He described the new measure as a ‘Yahoo Yahoo’ subsidy.
In a lengthy statement, Atiku accused Tinubu of copying his proposal while reducing it to a temporary 30-day discount. He questioned what would happen after the offer expires.
He argued that his plan was designed to provide lasting relief by supporting local refining and reducing petrol costs, unlike the government’s temporary N50 discount.
Atiku also recalled offering to share his economic relief plan with Tinubu during his State of the Nation address on September 18, 2026, but said the President rejected the offer.
He accused the government of worsening the cost of living for three and a half years before introducing temporary relief ahead of an election.
Atiku maintained that Nigerians would not forget the hardship they had endured and would judge Tinubu based on his government’s decisions.
