2027: APC slams Atiku over promise to restore fuel subsidy

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticised the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, over his promise to restore petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027.

APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, accused the former vice president of abandoning his previous position on subsidy removal and described his latest pledge as an act of political desperation.

Atiku had, during an interview on Wednesday, promised to restore the subsidy if elected, arguing that Nigerians had not seen sufficient benefits from its removal by President Bola Tinubu in 2023.

“If I win the presidential election, I will restore the subsidy. And anyone who stole Nigeria’s subsidy funds must return the money,” Atiku said.

He also questioned the whereabouts of the funds saved from the removal of the subsidy, arguing that the resources should have been deployed to reduce poverty and improve education, security and employment.

Reacting in a post on X on Thursday, Morka said Atiku had reversed his position from the 2023 presidential campaign, when he supported subsidy removal and promised to scrap it within his first 100 days in office if elected.

“Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has backflipped from his 2023 policy support for fuel subsidy removal to a promise to restore fuel subsidy if elected president in 2027,” Morka said.

The APC spokesman said the proposal showed that Atiku was disconnected from Nigeria’s economic realities and the need for reforms.