Atiku To Tinubu: Cut Fuel Prices, Let Nigerians Breathe

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has called on President Bola Tinubu to lower fuel prices to ease the burden of rising living costs on Nigerians. Speaking on Friday in Abuja, Atiku said the removal of petrol subsidy since May 2023 had worsened transportation, food and production costs for the Nigerian people. He urged Tinubu to reduce the burden on Nigerians by cutting petrol prices, saying his government would provide policy ideas and technical input to bring relief.

Atiku criticized Tinubu for dismissing his previous call for government intervention to reduce petrol prices, describing it as "serious ignorance" of governance and the economy. He urged the president to demonstrate humility and courage to change course, rather than relying on palliatives like rice distributions. Atiku warned against repeating the experience of petrol subsidy removal with electricity subsidies, saying the phase-out of electricity subsidies from 2027 could further increase pressure on households and businesses.

He urged Tinubu to use the remaining period of his tenure to lower energy costs and improve Nigerians' purchasing power, encouraging the government to adopt his proposed policy of a transparent production subsidy for locally refined petroleum products.