2027: APC chieftain faults Atiku’s subsidy return promise
Subsidy
By Adeyemi Adeleye
Lagos,Aug. 22, 2026 (NAN) A former Lagos APC Spokesman, Mr Seye Oladejo, has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his reported promise to restore fuel subsidy if elected president in 2027.
Oladejo,in a statement on Saturday, described the position as a contradiction of Abubakar’s previous support for subsidy removal,.
He questioned the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate’s consistency on economic policy.
Oladejo said Abubakar had previously described subsidy removal as inevitable and supported the policy during the 2023 presidential campaign.
He said: “There is a point at which political criticism ceases to be constructive opposition and becomes a comedy of contradictions.
“Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar may have crossed that line with his latest position on fuel subsidy.”
He said the former vice president should explain why he previously supported subsidy removal if he now considered the policy fundamentally wrong.
“If subsidy removal was fundamentally wrong, why did he previously describe it as inevitable and support the policy?” he asked.
Oladejo said if Abubakar’s concern was the manner in which the policy was implemented, he should explain what alternative approach he would adopt rather than promising to restore subsidy.
Oladejo said the presidency should not be reduced to a last-chance political project, stressing that Nigerians deserved clarity on the motivation behind major policy proposals.
He said: “A policy as fundamental as fuel subsidy cannot be switched on and off like a campaign slogan simply because an election is approaching.
“The Nigerian people are not merely looking for a politician who can identify their frustrations,they are looking for a leader whose economic philosophy is consistent, transparent and defensible — whether there is an election around the corner or not.”he said.
Oladejo acknowledged that subsidy removal had imposed significant hardship on Nigerians, particularly through increased transportation costs and pressure on household incomes.
He, however, said the hardship should not lead to the” romanticisation”of a subsidy regime that had placed a heavy burden on public finances.
“Let us be clear: the removal of fuel subsidy has imposed real hardship on Nigerians. No responsible government should pretend otherwise.
“But acknowledging the pain should not compel us to romanticise the old system,” he said
According to him, Nigeria could not indefinitely commit scarce public resources to maintaining an artificially low fuel price while neglecting investments in infrastructure, education, healthcare, security and productive capacity.
Oladejo said President Bola Tinubu took a politically difficult decision by ending the subsidy regime in 2023, adding that leadership sometimes required taking necessary decisions rather than popular ones.
He said the government must, however, remain accountable for the resources generated through the reform and ensure that Nigerians benefited from the resulting fiscal space.
“The removal of subsidy created fiscal space. Nigerians have every right to demand that the resulting resources translate into tangible improvements in their lives.
“More revenue must mean more development,” Oladejo said.
The APC chieftain also urged states and local governments to demonstrate that increased allocations were being translated into better infrastructure and social services at the grassroots.
He said the Tinubu administration must improve communication, transparency and delivery to strengthen public confidence in its economic reforms.
“Reforms cannot survive indefinitely on the strength of economic theory. They must ultimately be justified by results,” Oladejo said.
He challenged Abubakar to provide details of the proposed subsidy restoration, including its estimated annual cost, funding source and mechanisms to prevent abuse.
Oladejo said the 2027 election should be based on competing ideas, credibility and capacity rather than promises targeted at exploiting public frustrations
He urged all presidential candidates to tell Nigerians not only what they wanted to hear but also what the country needed to hear, alongside practical plans for implementation. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
AYO/BHB
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Edited by Buhari Bolaji
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