Atiku’s position on fuel subsidy inconsistent – Adebayo

The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Adewole Adebayo, has accused former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of inconsistency over his plan to restore petrol subsidy if elected President in 2027.

Adebayo made the accusation on Wednesday during an interview with News Central.

Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, had said he would restore subsidy if elected, arguing that Nigeria has sufficient resources to provide relief to citizens.

Adebayo, however, said the position contradicted Atiku’s stance during the 2023 presidential election, when he campaigned on a promise to remove petrol subsidy.

“My colleagues are changing parties, changing manifesto. For example, Vice President Atiku Abubakar said four years ago he will remove subsidy on day one and he will sell NNPC. Now four years later, he is in another party saying no, I am going to restore subsidy,” Adebayo said.

He described the change in position as contradictory, noting that Atiku had previously described the subsidy regime as economically unsustainable.

“Something that was in place, you said you will remove it. Now your colleague removed it. Now you say you want to put it back. Inconsistency,” he said.

Atiku has maintained that his proposed intervention would not amount to a return to the former subsidy regime, but would involve using Nigeria’s crude oil resources to support domestic refining and reduce the cost of petroleum products.