Atiku Shuts Up His Spokesman Over Fuel Subsidy Vow
The Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has disowned comments by one of his media aides and reaffirmed his commitment to restoring fuel subsidy if elected President in the 2027 general election.
The former Vice President made the clarification while addressing party leaders in Abuja, insisting that his position on subsidy had not changed despite recent remarks credited to his aide, Paul Ibe.
According to Atiku, any suggestion that subsidy would only be temporarily restored did not reflect his official position.
“Earlier, one of my press aides contradicted me in a policy statement as far as subsidy is concerned. I want to repeat categorically that when I said I would return to subsidy, I will,” Atiku stated.
The controversy began after Paul Ibe reportedly suggested that an Atiku administration would restore fuel subsidy but later phase it out as the economy recovered.
The comments sparked widespread debate and criticism from political opponents.
However, Atiku moved quickly to distance himself from the statement, stressing that policy decisions belong to him and not his spokespersons.
The ADC candidate argued that Nigeria possesses enough resources to protect citizens from economic hardship and insisted that the removal of subsidy has worsened the cost of living for millions of Nigerians.
He said his proposed subsidy framework would differ from previous arrangements, describing it as a targeted intervention aimed at supporting domestic refining, lowering production costs and reducing the burden on ordinary Nigerians.
Atiku also accused the current administration of failing to adequately explain how savings from subsidy removal have been utilised since the policy was scrapped in 2023.
The announcement has triggered fresh political debate because Atiku had previously supported the removal of fuel subsidy during past election campaigns and public policy discussions. Critics, including members of the Tinubu administration, have described his latest position as a major policy reversal.
The Presidency has already attacked the proposal, describing it as economically unsustainable and a return to policies that contributed to corruption and waste in the petroleum sector.
Despite the criticism, Atiku maintains that subsidy restoration remains a key component of his economic agenda, arguing that government policies should focus on easing hardship and restoring purchasing power to Nigerians.
With less than a year before the 2027 Presidential election, the debate over fuel subsidy is shaping up to become one of the defining issues of the campaign season, as candidates battle to convince voters they have the best solution to Nigeria’s economic challenges./YAROINSIDER
