Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the Federal Government’s planned 30-day petrol discount at Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) retail outlets, describing the initiative as a political manoeuvre that offers Nigerians only temporary relief from rising living costs.
Atiku, through Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council, accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of attempting to use a short-term fuel price reduction to win public approval ahead of the next election.
The former vice-president argued that the intervention was inadequate to address the economic hardship Nigerians had endured since the removal of petrol subsidy in May 2023.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Atiku said the government had allowed households and businesses to grapple with soaring fuel prices and their effects on transportation, food prices and other essential goods before introducing the temporary relief measure.
He described the initiative as an election-driven gesture, questioning why the administration had waited until now to introduce the intervention.
Atiku said Nigerians should not be expected to overlook years of economic hardship because of a discount that would last only 30 days.
He also questioned what would happen after the expiration of the initiative, arguing that motorists and businesses could return to facing the same high fuel prices and rising operating costs.
According to him, the government’s proposal does not constitute a comprehensive economic recovery plan but merely provides temporary relief without addressing the underlying causes of the cost-of-living crisis.
The former vice-president further faulted the limited scope of the initiative, noting that the proposed discount would be available at NNPCL retail stations.
He also questioned the absence of clear information on the amount motorists would save per litre and whether transport operators would pass any savings on to passengers through reduced fares.
Atiku argued that the government’s decision to introduce the intervention demonstrated that alternative measures could be adopted to ease the burden on consumers, despite previous arguments against such policies.
He maintained that his proposal for production support linked to locally refined petroleum products offered a more sustainable approach to reducing fuel costs.
The ADC chieftain advocated a capped and budgeted production-support framework with safeguards to ensure that the benefits reached consumers while strengthening domestic refining capacity.
He said the government should prioritise lasting economic relief rather than measures that would expire after a short period.
Atiku also insisted that Nigerians needed practical solutions capable of making transportation, food and other basic necessities more affordable.
He reiterated his commitment to reducing the cost of living, declaring: “Tinubu made life expensive. I will make life affordable again.”
