Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the Federal Government’s proposed 30-day fuel discount at NNPC retail stations, describing it as a desperate, temporary gimmick that fails to address the underlying economic hardship facing the nation.
In a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication for the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku labeled the administration’s move a “reckless and disgraceful” attempt to buy votes.
He noted that after watching Nigerians endure relentless economic pressure for years, the government was now offering a fleeting gesture solely because elections were around the corner.
“Now, as the election draws near, President Tinubu is dangling a temporary discount at the very epicenter of the cost-of-living crisis that has tormented households and businesses,” Atiku said.
“I totally reject this calendar-scheduled, election-laced package. Nigerians are not fools to be offered a month of discounted fuel after years of punishing prices, only to be expected to forget their suffering once the discount expires. This is both shameless and heartless.”
operational flaws in the policy, pointing out that the discount is restricted to NNPC-owned stations. Furthermore, the government has failed to specify the exact savings per liter or provide any mechanism to ensure that transport operators pass on those savings to commuters.
According to Atiku, the administration’s sudden policy shift amounts to an admission of failure and validates the opposition’s long-standing economic arguments.
“This volte-face proves that the production-support proposal I have advanced is workable and achievable,” he stated. “The Tinubu administration and its spin doctors previously claimed relief was impossible, yet they are now reaching for a temporary subsidy-style intervention because the public’s pain can no longer be ignored.”
Reaffirming his alternative policy vision, Atiku called for budgeted, capped production support tied directly to locally refined fuel, paired with strict safeguards to guarantee long-term price stability for consumers.
“Nigerians need permanent relief, not a countdown to the return of hardship,” Atiku concluded. “Tinubu made life expensive; I will make life affordable again.”
