Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the Federal Government’s proposed 30-day petrol discount at Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) stations, describing the measure as a desperate and temporary response to the economic hardship facing Nigerians.
Atiku, in a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council, on Thursday, October 8, 2026, accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of using the temporary fuel discount as a political publicity measure rather than addressing the underlying causes of the cost-of-living crisis.
He described the proposed intervention as a “panic-driven publicity stunt” and criticised the government for what he called a sudden attempt to reintroduce a subsidy-style measure after Nigerians had endured prolonged high petrol prices.
According to Atiku, the government’s decision to offer temporary relief was coming after years of hardship without what he considered meaningful intervention.
He said the Tinubu administration was now attempting to “dangle a fuel subsidy as bait for Nigerians” as the 2027 elections draw closer.
“Atiku totally rejects this calendar-scheduled, election-laced subsidy package. Nigerians are not fools to be offered a month of discounted fuel after years of punishing prices and then expected to forget the hardship when the discount expires. This is shameless and heartless,” he said.
The former Vice President argued that the proposed discount could not resolve the broader economic consequences of high petrol prices, describing it as a temporary response to a problem that requires a long-term solution.
“What happens on Day 31? Nigerians wake up to the same brutal prices, the same punishing transport fares and the same rising cost of food. The government cannot manufacture relief for one month and expect Nigerians to applaud while the hardship remains,” he said.
Atiku also questioned the scope of the intervention, noting that the discount would be limited to NNPCL stations.
He said the government had yet to disclose how much motorists would actually save per litre or provide guarantees that transport operators would pass any savings from the discount to passengers through reduced fares.
The former Vice President further described the government’s change in approach as an admission that the economic hardship resulting from high fuel prices had become difficult to ignore.
“This volte-face proves that the production-support proposal I have advanced is workable, achievable and not complicated. The Tinubu government and its spin doctors have tried to make it sound impossible, yet they are now reaching for a temporary subsidy-style intervention because the pain has become impossible to ignore,” Atiku said.
He reiterated his proposal for capped and budgeted production support tied to petrol refined domestically, with safeguards intended to ensure that the benefits reach consumers while also supporting local refining.
“Nigerians need lasting relief, not a countdown to the return of hardship. Tinubu’s government cannot spend years telling Nigerians to endure, then offer 30 days of relief and call it a solution,” he said.
Atiku also restated his commitment to reducing the cost of living and making basic necessities more affordable for Nigerians.
“Tinubu made life expensive. I will make life affordable again,” he said.
