Tinubu’s fuel subsidy removal is economic apartheid – Atiku tackles Presidency

Atiku Abubakar, a presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and a former Vice President, has denounced President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's removal of the fuel subsidy in 2023 as a prime example of economic apartheid. The claim surfaced in a statement by Atiku's media team on Sunday, amidst ongoing disagreements with the Tinubu administration over fuel subsidy.

President Tinubu's government reported a fuel subsidy saving of N15.8 trillion over the past three years. However, Atiku had suggested a return to a unique fuel subsidy system if elected in 2027. The presidency countered Atiku's proposal, asserting that his fuel subsidy promise did not serve Nigeria's best interests.

In a subsequent statement, Atiku accused Tinubu's administration of deceit, suggesting that the former vice president had "taken the palliative from the poor and given it to his rich friends." Atiku's statement accused Tinubu's government of employing propaganda, stating that the policy collapsed under the weight of its own shortcomings.

"Tinubu stood at Eagle Square and declared that subsidy was gone. This is the fraud at the heart of Tinubunomics. That is not reform; it is an upside-down economy," Atiku declared. The Daily Post reported that President Tinubu eliminated fuel subsidy in May 2023, which led to a significant rise in petrol prices.