Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called out the Tinubu administration for allegedly paying fuel subsidies while claiming to have abolished them.
Atiku, in a statement on his X account, expressed shock at recent reports revealing the government’s continued support for downstream consumption, contrary to their earlier claims.
He noted that in 2023, Nigeria spent N3.6 trillion on fuel subsidies, despite President Tinubu’s announcement of their removal. Atiku criticized the government’s lack of transparency and accused them of deception, stating that Nigerians deserve better.
The former presidential candidate questioned the government’s opaque handling of the subsidy regime, asking for clarity on the fiscal commitments and benefits of the fuel subsidy reform. He also expressed concern over the impact on the Federation Accounts.
“I had in my statement reviewing the one year of the Bola Tinubu administration urged the government to come clean on the actual position of the subsidy policy.
These were my exact words: “…provide clarity on the fuel subsidy regime, including the fiscal commitments and benefits from the fuel subsidy reform and the impact of this on the Federation Accounts. It is curious that since April 2024, fuel queues have mounted at many filling stations across Nigeria, and the infamous ‘black market’ has sprouted in several states. How much PMS is being imported and distributed, and at what cost? What is the implicit subsidy,” he asked.
Atiku’s statement comes as fuel queues and black markets have resurfaced across Nigeria, raising questions about the government’s handling of the fuel subsidy removal policy. He reiterated that Nigeria’s economy is not working and that the current administration’s policies are a “cocktail of trial-and-error economic policies.”
