Paul Ibe, media aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration of reviving an opaque petrol subsidy regime through its 30-day fuel discount initiative, questioning its limited duration and nationwide reach.
Ibe, in a statement posted on X on Friday, October 9, 2026, argued that the intervention would not adequately address the country’s petrol affordability crisis because it was restricted to Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) filling stations and would last only 30 days.
The Federal Government announced the discount on Thursday, October 8, amid rising petrol prices and growing concerns over the cost of living.
Faulting the arrangement, Ibe said Nigerians needed affordable petrol nationwide rather than temporary relief available only at selected outlets.
“You cannot solve a nationwide affordability crisis with a narrowly targeted discount. Nigerians need cheaper petrol everywhere, not cheaper petrol somewhere, and certainly not for just 30 days,” he wrote.
He added, “From every indication, Tinubu is walking back to the opaque subsidy regime that he claimed was gone for good.”
The former vice president’s aide accused the administration of concentrating on whether the intervention should be described as a subsidy or a margin discount instead of addressing the hardship caused by high petrol prices.
While acknowledging that any genuine reduction in fuel prices would be welcome, Ibe maintained that the relief must be equitable, accessible across the country and sustainable.
To support his criticism, he cited an estimated 22,681 filling stations nationwide, noting that NNPC operated more than 900 outlets, representing roughly four per cent of the country’s retail network.
He also referenced an estimated 17 per cent retail market share for NNPC in 2024, arguing that the company’s outlets were insufficient to deliver meaningful relief to Nigerians in every part of the country.
Ibe further cited an NNPC report for July 2026, which he said indicated that petrol availability across the company’s retail network stood at 52 per cent.
He questioned how the government intended to guarantee access to the discount for residents of communities without NNPC filling stations, warning that some Nigerians might have to travel long distances to benefit.
According to him, the additional transportation costs could further burden households already struggling with the high cost of living.
The Atiku aide also warned that the selective arrangement could create disparities similar to those associated with the electricity Band A, B and C classifications, under which consumers face different service levels and costs depending on their locations.
He argued that the intervention amounted to an acknowledgement that market forces alone could not shield Nigerians from the impact of high petrol prices.
Ibe advocated Atiku’s proposed production-based subsidy, arguing that reducing costs at the production stage would allow the benefits to spread through the wider fuel distribution network.
He insisted that the country needed a comprehensive and sustainable solution to petrol affordability rather than a discount that would expire after 30 days.
