Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) , has strongly criticized the government led by President Tinubu for its persistent continuation of fuel subsidy payments.
In a statement released through his spokesperson on Wednesday, the former vice president expressed deep shock and concern regarding the government’s ongoing support for downstream consumption and the associated subsidy expenditures.
Atiku’s remarks came shortly after the government openly acknowledged that fuel subsidy expenses are projected to escalate to a staggering ₦5.4 trillion in 2024.
Atiku emphasized that despite President Tinubu’s announcement of subsidy abolition on May 29, 2023, the administration has surreptitiously continued to make subsidy payments.
He stated, “President Bola Tinubu, during his inauguration on May 29, 2023, declared the abolishment of the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as fuel. Since then, it has been a point of pride for Tinubu and his administration officials.
In my statement evaluating the one-year tenure of the Bola Tinubu administration, I urged the government to provide clarity on the actual status of the subsidy policy.”
“Atiku continued, “If the subsidy system was previously characterized by opacity, what can we say about a situation where the subsidy is still being paid secretly without the knowledge of Nigerians? Like millions of Nigerians, I was taken aback to discover through media reports that the government is still providing support for downstream consumption.”
Atiku accused the federal government of deceit, suggesting that it continues to finance fuel subsidies while publicly claiming otherwise.
He concluded by saying, “Now we are aware that spending on fuel subsidies could reach a staggering N5.4 trillion in 2024, compared to the N3.6 trillion spent in 2023, the same year when Tinubu proclaimed to have abolished fuel subsidy.
I would like to reiterate that Nigeria is not functioning properly, and what we have witnessed in just over a year is a combination of trial-and-error economic policies.
Paying subsidies and deceiving the public about it is nothing to be proud of. Nigerians deserve better than this deception.
