Atiku proposes temporary petrol subsidy restoration

Paul Ibe, spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria — African Democratic Congress (ADC), stated that if Atiku wins the 2027 presidential election, his administration would temporarily restore the petrol subsidy. The proposed subsidy would be tied to crude oil production and domestic refining, with crude oil sold at a discounted price to local refiners to lower production costs and ultimately reduce pump prices. An independent committee would determine appropriate refinery prices, and the intervention would be phased out after the economy improves. Ibe criticized the Tinubu administration for removing the subsidy abruptly without adequate support measures, likening it to performing multiple major surgeries without recovery time. The proposal has sparked a dispute with President Bola Tinubu, who called it evidence of 'serious ignorance on governance and economy,' while Atiku defended it as a targeted, capped, budgeted, and independently audited intervention.