Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the Federal Government’s proposed 30-day fuel discount at NNPC stations, describing the initiative as a temporary measure that would not address the wider cost-of-living pressures associated with high fuel prices.
Mr Atiku, in a statement issued on Thursday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, said the proposed discount amounted to a short-term intervention rather than a sustainable solution to the hardship faced by Nigerians.
He accused the President Bola Tinubu administration of attempting to use the fuel discount to provide temporary relief as the country approaches the 2027 general elections.
“Atiku totally rejects this calendar-scheduled, election-laced subsidy package. Nigerians are not fools to be offered a month of discounted fuel after years of punishing prices and then expected to forget the hardship when the discount expires,” he said.
According to him, the proposed intervention would not resolve the underlying problems created by high fuel prices, particularly the impact on transportation and food prices.
He questioned what would happen after the 30-day period, arguing that Nigerians could return to the same fuel prices and associated increases in transport and food costs once the discount expires.
“What happens on Day 31? Nigerians wake up to the same brutal prices, the same punishing transport fares and the same rising cost of food,” Atiku said.
He also raised questions about the scope and implementation of the proposed discount, noting that the measure would be restricted to NNPC stations.
Mr Atiku said the government had yet to clearly indicate how much motorists would save per litre or explain how it would ensure that any reduction in fuel costs for commercial transport operators would translate into lower fares for passengers.
The former vice president further argued that the government’s decision to introduce the measure amounted to an acknowledgement that Nigerians were facing significant economic pressure.
He said the development also reinforced his argument for a production-support mechanism aimed at reducing the cost of locally refined petroleum products.
“This volte-face proves that the production-support proposal I have advanced is workable, achievable and not complicated,” he said.
Mr Atiku said his proposal would involve capped and budgeted production support tied to fuel refined in Nigeria, with safeguards to ensure that the benefit reaches consumers while also supporting domestic refining.
He argued that such an approach would provide a more sustainable framework than a temporary reduction in pump prices.
“Nigerians need lasting relief, not a countdown to the return of hardship. Tinubu’s government cannot spend years telling Nigerians to endure, then offer 30 days of relief and call it a solution,” he said.
Mr Atiku also reiterated his commitment to reducing the cost of living, saying his economic programme would prioritise affordability and relief for Nigerians.
“Tinubu made life expensive. I will make life affordable again,” he said.
