‘Tinubu practising Robin Hood economics, robbing poor to subsidise rich people’ – Atiku

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has accused President Bola Tinubu of engaging in "Robin Hood economics" by allegedly robbing the poor to subsidize the rich and powerful. Speaking through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku made the claim in response to a column by Waziriadio in ThisDay, which discussed the contentious removal of petrol subsidies in Nigeria and Atiku's proposed restoration of the subsidy scheme.

Shaibu, in a scathing response posted on X, argued that Tinubu did not abolish the fuel subsidy regime but merely changed its beneficiaries. He contended that Atiku's proposal is a targeted, capped, budgeted, and independently audited production support that adheres to the barrel refined in Nigeria, ensures consumer price relief, and includes a sunset clause.

Shaibu emphasized that Atiku is not returning Nigeria to an open-ended subsidy on imported petrol, but rather, his plan is a more controlled and accountable approach to addressing the subsidy issue.

Shaibu directly confronted Waziriadio, stating, "My dear big brother @Waziriadio, the problem with your argument is that it attacks a policy @atiku did not propose." He further clarified that Atiku's plan does not entail the return of Nigeria to an open-ended subsidy on imported petrol but instead focuses on production support within the country, providing relief to consumers and carrying a sunset clause to ensure accountability.

Shaibu concluded his response by asserting that while one may disagree with Atiku's model, it is essential to engage in a debate based on the actual proposal rather than attacking what has not been implemented. He dismissed the notion of conducting an "elaborate funeral for a corpse nobody brought to the burial," highlighting the ongoing conflict between Atiku's camp and President Tinubu over the issue of petrol subsidy removal.