‘Tinubu wants Nigerians to forget pain because election is approaching’ – Atiku

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu of plotting to conceal the hardships endured by Nigerians due to the fuel subsidy removal as the 2027 election draws near. In a statement released on Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku alleged that the Tinubu administration was contemplating reinstating the fuel subsidy through a "back door" approach.

The former vice-president expressed skepticism, stating that this move was politically motivated rather than out of genuine concern for the Nigerian people. "Tinubu wants Nigerians to forget the pain because an election is approaching," Atiku declared. He further claimed that his team had obtained credible intelligence suggesting that the government had entered a state of panic and was preparing to roll back some aspects of its fuel subsidy policy in the lead-up to the next presidential election.

Atiku accused the administration of subjecting Nigerians to suffering for years, only to allegedly offer limited relief in the final stretch before the election. "The strategy is as cynical as it is obvious: impoverish Nigerians for three and a half years, wait until the 2027 election is within sight, then hurriedly return a fraction of the relief you denied them and expect gratitude at the ballot box," Atiku asserted.