Atiku Demands Tinubu Apology Over U-Turn on Targeted Fuel Support Plan
Abuja, Nigeria—October 9, 2026—Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has sharply criticized President Bola Tinubu, demanding an apology after the Federal Government announced a temporary 30-day petrol discount that Atiku says mirrors the targeted fuel-cost relief he previously proposed.
In a strongly worded statement and accompanying video remarks circulating widely on social media, Atiku recalled that Tinubu and his administration had earlier dismissed his call for targeted support to ease fuel costs as evidence of “serious ignorance” of economic policy.
He argued that the government had insisted such intervention could not be done, only to reverse course with the new short-term discount.
“Bola, when I proposed targeted support to ease fuel costs, you called me ignorant of economic policy. Your government said it could not be done. Now, in a desperate and clumsy retreat, you have shamelessly embraced the principle you mocked. You owe me an apology, Bola,” Atiku stated.
Criticism of the 30-Day Discount
Atiku described the Federal Government’s plan—which offers discounted petrol at NNPC stations for 30 days, with priority for public transport operators—as a “panic-driven publicity stunt” and an “election-laced subsidy package.”
He questioned what would happen on Day 31, arguing that temporary relief would leave Nigerians facing the same high fuel prices, transport fares, and food costs once the window closes.
He rejected the measure as insufficient to address the broader cost-of-living crisis that followed the removal of petrol subsidy in May 2023.
Atiku reiterated his alternative: a capped, budgeted production-support mechanism tied to petrol refined in Nigeria, designed to lower pump prices sustainably while boosting domestic refining and protecting consumers.
Background to the Dispute
The exchange forms part of a longer-running debate. Atiku has consistently argued for production-focused support rather than a return to the old, open-ended import subsidy regime.
President Tinubu and government officials had previously characterized such proposals as economically uninformed, emphasising the fiscal pressures that justified subsidy removal.
The latest government announcement comes amid sustained public pressure over petrol prices that have hovered around ₦1,300–₦1,500 per litre in major cities, contributing to elevated transport and food costs.
Atiku’s comments have drawn mixed responses online, with some supporters hailing the demand for accountability and others dismissing it as political posturing ahead of the 2027 elections.
The ADC candidate has framed the episode as evidence that lasting solutions, not temporary gestures, are required.
As the debate intensifies, both sides continue to stake out competing visions for energy affordability and economic relief in the lead-up to next year’s polls.
The Presidency has not issued an immediate direct response to Atiku’s latest apology demand.
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