‘Atiku restoring fuel subsidy outright deception meant to win election’ – Shehu Sani

Former Kaduna Central Senator Shehu Sani has criticized the African Democratic Congress candidate Atiku Abubakar's promise to restore fuel subsidy, calling it a "political Trojan horse" designed to secure the 2027 presidential election. Sani pointed out that Atiku had previously advocated for the removal of fuel subsidy, and deemed his current promise as impractical and a deceptive tactic to appeal to voters.

Sani highlighted that Atiku has consistently backed neoliberal economic policies, such as devaluation of currency, privatization of public enterprises, and selling off state assets, making his reversal on the subsidy issue suspicious. He argued that returning fuel subsidy would be difficult due to the enormous amount of money spent on subsidizing petroleum products in the past.

Sani also noted that many subsidy beneficiaries have been involved in corruption and fraud, siphoning off billions of naira from the national treasury for importing petroleum products under the subsidy scheme. He acknowledged the hardship caused by the removal of subsidy on ordinary Nigerians and the resulting bad blood between citizens and the current administration, but emphasized that Atiku's promise is merely a means to deceive the electorate.