Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has said Nigerians are in favour of restoring petrol subsidy as they struggle with increasing fuel and transportation costs.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, made the statement in a release issued on Tuesday by his senior special assistant on public communication, Phrank Shaibu.
He referenced a survey conducted by SBM Intelligence which, according to him, showed that 67.4 per cent of respondents opposed the Federal Government’s current petrol pricing policy, while 19.2 per cent supported it.
Atiku said the figures reflected widespread dissatisfaction with the government’s fuel policy and urged President Bola Tinubu to reconsider the approach.
“This survey is no longer merely about economic policy. It has become a democratic question,” Atiku said.
“When an overwhelming majority of Nigerians declare that a government policy is destroying their lives, responsible leadership must listen.”
The former vice-president said the survey also ranked petrol as the second-most important national concern among respondents and identified the Tinubu administration’s fuel policy as its lowest-rated policy area, with a score of 1.69 out of four.
According to him, the findings reflected the financial pressure on households, workers, farmers and businesses as the cost of fuel and transportation continues to increase.
“This survey is not merely about percentages. It is the collective cry of Nigerian families who can no longer afford food, workers whose salaries disappear on transportation, farmers who cannot move their produce to market and businesses collapsing under the weight of fuel and energy costs,” he said.
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Atiku argued that the removal of petrol subsidy had contributed to higher transport fares, increasing food prices, reduced purchasing power and worsening economic conditions.
“The survey simply confirms what Nigerians already know: Tinubu’s fuel policy has caused far more harm than good,” he stated.
Petrol Concerns Higher In Rural Areas
Atiku also highlighted regional findings from the survey, noting that 32.4 per cent of rural respondents identified petrol as their main concern, compared with 11.7 per cent of those living in urban areas.
He said petrol was also the leading concern among respondents in the South-West, where it recorded 30.5 per cent, and the South-South, with 29.1 per cent.
The ADC candidate said the figures demonstrated that concerns over petrol prices cut across different regions and sections of the population.
“President Tinubu removed subsidy with a slogan, not a strategy. He had no credible plan for domestic refining, mass transportation, wage protection or the millions of small businesses that depend on affordable energy,” he said.
Atiku further alleged that the government failed to adequately address warnings about the impact of higher petrol prices on household purchasing power, transport expenses and food inflation.
He restated his proposal to introduce a production-based subsidy specifically for petroleum products refined locally and sold to Nigerian consumers.
“If elected, from May 29, 2027, I will introduce a transparent production subsidy for petroleum products refined in Nigeria and sold to Nigerians. Imports will not qualify,” he said.
Atiku said the proposed scheme would operate within a fixed spending limit and be subject to approval by the National Assembly as well as independent audits.
He said the policy would seek to lower petrol prices, encourage domestic refining, generate employment and improve Nigerians’ purchasing power.