30 Days Petrol Discount: Atiku Accuses Tinubu of Turning NNPC into Political Spectacle
Chuks Okocha in Abuja The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of turning a petrol discount into a political
Allah Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has criticized President Bola Tinubu's administration for transforming a petrol discount into a political spectacle at the NNPC Limited's expense. The former vice president emphasized that the petroleum corporation is now a quoted limited liability company, as mandated by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Atiku stated that the PIA stipulated the corporation to operate as a publicly quoted liability company. In a statement released by the ADC Presidential Campaign Council's Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku questioned why President Tinubu wanted Nigerians to applaud for ₦66 off a litre before inquiring about who ordered NNPC to relinquish the funds.
He questioned the credit for the discount without providing board approval, costs, or the account that would bear it. Atiku asked Nigerians to ask a simple question: who pays for Tinubu's applause? He highlighted how NNPC Limited, having moved away from being the old NNPC corporation, is now a commercial company. Yet, the Presidency announces a discount, takes the credit, and instructs NNPC Limited to surrender its margin.
Atiku questioned whether the government exercises its shareholder rights through proper corporate channels or treats NNPC Limited as a campaign fund drawer it can utilize during election periods. He pointed out how Nigerians require affordable petrol, but the Presidency delivers lectures on market forces, stating that prices cannot be wished down.
However, when Tinubu needs a headline, the government extracts money from NNPC's margin and labels it relief. Atiku questioned where Nigerians would find relief when the NNPC Retail has over 900 stations for a nation of roughly 242 million people. He highlighted how motorists are already queuing at certain outlets, questioning whether a driver must travel to an NNPC station, endure traffic, download an app, and pay through it to save ₦66 per litre.
Atiku asked how much of the savings reaches the driver during the journey and what happens to families whose nearest NNPC station is miles away or when a station runs out of petrol? He questioned the presence of NNPC's board in this performance, asking if it approved the decision before the Presidency announced it. Atiku sought to know what figures the board examined and where the cost would appear in the company's accounts.
He teased how the administration could claim this is not a subsidy by changing the name of a cost without making it vanish.
Written by urgent.news from This Day's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
