African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar has reaffirmed his plan to restore petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027, while distancing himself from comments by his media aide, Paul Ibe.
Atiku made the clarification on Tuesday when he received the Osun State leadership of the ADC in Abuja, stressing that his position on subsidy remained unchanged.
He said, “I want to repeat categorically that when I said I would return to subsidy, I will!” Atiku added that Ibe was not speaking on his authority.
Atiku explains proposed subsidy plan
Ibe had earlier said on AIT that Atiku would restore petrol subsidy temporarily before phasing it out as the economy recovered.
However, Atiku’s camp clarified that the proposed intervention would differ from the former import-based subsidy system.
According to Atiku’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the policy would involve a targeted, capped and transparently budgeted intervention supporting domestic refining and production.
Atiku said, “A nation as blessed as ours has no business abandoning its citizens to hardship.”
The proposal would reportedly involve supplying crude oil to local refiners at discounted prices, with the aim of reducing production costs and, ultimately, petrol and diesel prices.
Subsidy debate returns ahead of 2027
The renewed debate comes after President Bola Tinubu removed petrol subsidy at his inauguration on May 29, 2023, contributing to a sharp rise in fuel prices and wider living costs.
Atiku has argued that Nigerians need relief from high transport, food and production costs, while the Federal Government has defended subsidy removal as necessary for economic reform.
His latest position places the subsidy debate firmly back at the centre of the 2027 presidential contest, with Atiku presenting his proposal as a temporary production-support measure rather than a return to the former import-driven system.
