Lagos APC Chieftain Tackles Atiku Over Plan to Restore Fuel Subsidy

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Seye Oladejo, has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his reported plan to restore fuel subsidy if elected president in 2027.

Oladejo described Atiku’s position as a “joke taken too far”, arguing that it contradicted the former vice president’s previous position on subsidy removal.

In a statement, the APC chieftain questioned whether Atiku’s latest position represented a genuine change in economic thinking or a political strategy ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

“Atiku has reportedly declared that if elected President, he would restore the petrol subsidy and ensure that whoever allegedly stole the money saved from subsidy removal refunds it,” Oladejo said.

READ ALSO: Atiku’s Plan to Restore Fuel Subsidy Shows ‘Serious Ignorance’ – Tinubu

He recalled that Atiku had previously described subsidy removal as inevitable and supported the policy during the 2023 presidential campaign, while criticising the manner in which the Tinubu administration implemented it.

Oladejo said the change in position raised questions about the former vice president’s consistency on economic policy.

“If subsidy removal was fundamentally wrong, why did he previously describe it as inevitable and support the policy?” he asked.

He argued that if Atiku’s objection was to the implementation of the policy rather than the removal itself, the former vice president should explain how he would have handled the reform differently instead of promising to restore subsidy.

The APC chieftain also challenged Atiku to account for the resources released through the removal of the subsidy.

“Where did the money go? What was saved? How was it allocated? What projects were funded? What benefits accrued to Nigerians?” he asked.

Oladejo, however, acknowledged the hardship caused by the subsidy removal, saying the policy had affected household incomes, transportation costs and the general cost of living.

He maintained that the hardship should not lead to a return to what he described as an unsustainable system.

“For years, Nigeria committed enormous public resources to subsidising petroleum consumption while questions persisted about the transparency, sustainability and beneficiaries of the arrangement,” he said.

According to him, Nigeria cannot indefinitely commit scarce public resources to maintaining artificially low fuel prices at the expense of investments in infrastructure, education, healthcare, security and productive capacity.

Oladejo defended President Bola Tinubu’s decision to remove the subsidy in 2023, describing it as a politically difficult decision that was necessary despite its immediate consequences.

“Leadership is sometimes about taking decisions that are necessary rather than decisions that are immediately popular,” he said.

The APC chieftain also urged the Tinubu administration to ensure that the fiscal space created by subsidy removal translates into tangible improvements in the lives of Nigerians.

“The removal of subsidy created fiscal space. Nigerians have every right to demand that the resulting resources translate into tangible improvements in their lives,” he said.

He also called on state and local governments to demonstrate that increased allocations from the Federation Account are being used to improve roads, healthcare, education, water supply and security.

Oladejo further questioned whether Atiku’s proposal to restore subsidy was motivated by the 2027 presidential contest, noting that the former vice president had described the election as his final attempt at the presidency.

“One cannot also resist asking whether this latest policy somersault is driven, at least in part, by political desperation,” he said.

He argued that a policy as fundamental as fuel subsidy should not be changed merely because an election was approaching.

The APC chieftain also linked the subsidy debate to Atiku’s previous advocacy for the privatisation of government assets, particularly his role in the privatisation process during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

He said Atiku should explain how public assets would be protected from cronyism and ensure that Nigerians benefit from any such transactions.

Oladejo urged the former vice president to provide details of the proposed subsidy restoration, including its projected annual cost, funding source and safeguards against abuse.

“If he believes the subsidy regime should return, he should tell Nigerians exactly how much it would cost annually, where the money would come from, how the system would be protected from abuse and why the country should return to it after decades of struggling with its consequences,” he said.

He also called on Atiku to explain the difference between his current position and his previous stance on subsidy removal.

Oladejo said the 2027 presidential election should focus on ideas, credibility and competence rather than promises designed to exploit citizens’ frustrations.

He added that opposition to the Tinubu administration should not amount to rejecting policies that an opposition candidate previously supported.

“Opposition should not mean opposing everything today that one supported yesterday,” he said.

According to him, Atiku’s proposal may appeal to voters facing economic hardship, but the former vice president must demonstrate that it is economically viable and consistent with his previous positions.

“Don’t just tell Nigerians what they want to hear. Tell them what the country needs to hear—and, more importantly, show them how you intend to deliver it,” Oladejo said.

He maintained that Nigeria needed economic reforms that were “humane, accountable and sustainable” rather than policies that are reversed or redesigned according to electoral cycles.