Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has pledged to make life affordable again for Nigerians if elected in 2027, delivering a sharp critique of President Bola Tinubu's Independence Day address and the administration's handling of the petrol subsidy removal that has driven transport, food and energy costs beyond the reach of millions of households.
In a statement issued on Friday by the Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said President Tinubu's Independence Day address did not sufficiently reflect the economic difficulties confronting ordinary Nigerians. He particularly took issue with the President's defence of the fuel subsidy removal and his description of subsidies as "addictive," arguing that the government had failed to provide the relief that should accompany such a consequential policy decision. "To every Nigerian forced to choose between feeding a family, paying for transport or meeting another basic need, I am deeply sorry. You did not deserve this hardship. Tinubu made life unbearably expensive and called your suffering the price of reform. I will make life affordable again," Atiku said.
At the heart of Atiku's intervention is a comparison with Germany, which reduced energy taxes on petrol and diesel from October 1 to December 31, 2026, cutting the tax by 14 cents per litre and about 17 cents when the associated value-added tax reduction is included, at an estimated cost of €2.5 billion. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the measure was intended to provide quick relief to people and businesses affected by high fuel costs. "Germany understands that when fuel prices put families under pressure, government must act. Nigerians deserve the same compassion and urgency," Atiku said, arguing that higher petrol prices cascade through the economy, raising transport costs and, in turn, the prices of food and other essentials.
Atiku's proposed alternative to the current subsidy regime is a "capped, budgeted production subsidy tied to verified fuel refined in Nigeria only," excluding imported petrol. Under the plan, crude would be supplied to domestic refiners at a reduced cost to bring down the price of locally refined petroleum products, with government funding tied to fuel refined in Nigeria and subject to independent auditing. "Our plan is to restore targeted, budgeted support for fuel refined in Nigeria, with strict auditing and a guarantee that the benefit lowers pump prices. Support will follow the barrel refined here, creating jobs here and easing costs for Nigerians. It will be funded by cutting waste, protected against diversion and price manipulation, and will not apply to imported fuel," Atiku said. He argued that lower fuel costs could translate into cheaper bus rides, more affordable goods at the market and more money left in a family's pocket.
The policy proposal has drawn both support and criticism. Atiku's running mate, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, defended the plan at an ADC women's event in Abuja, explaining that the production subsidy would support local refiners by supplying crude at reduced cost, which he said would have a ripple effect on transport, food and other costs. He distinguished the proposal from the consumer subsidy that the Tinubu administration removed, saying the ADC was proposing a production subsidy rather than a return to the discredited import-subsidy regime. Senator Adams Oshiomhole, a former president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, criticised the plan, saying Atiku had previously lectured him on the necessity of subsidy removal and was now seeking to restore it. The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has separately demanded that Atiku disclose the legal and fiscal basis of his proposal, citing Section 205 of the Petroleum Industry Act, which provides that unrestricted free-market conditions shall determine petroleum product prices, and estimating that the plan could cost between seventeen trillion and twenty-one trillion naira annually.
Atiku's broader critique of the administration's economic record included a pointed challenge to the President's claim that salaries and pensions had been paid "on time and in full." He said federal workers had reported delays while pensioners continued to protest over unpaid entitlements. He compared the purchasing power of the national minimum wage, noting that the N70,000 monthly minimum wage now buys approximately 50 litres of petrol, against 118 litres for N30,000 in April 2023. He also challenged the government's cash transfer programme, asking how ten million recipients of seventy-five thousand naira were identified and paid, and called for the publication of loan and contract records. "If you could find ten million people to pay, you can account for the payments," he said.
The ADC candidate also used his Independence Day state of the nation address to address electoral integrity, promising to respect the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission and support the prompt publication of polling unit results. He pledged legal consequences for vote-buying and result manipulation, declaring that "your vote must count as you cast it." The commitments come amid heightened scrutiny of the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections, scheduled for January 16, with the governorship and state assembly elections following on February 6. President Tinubu is seeking a second term on the All Progressives Congress platform, while Atiku is contesting on the ADC ticket with Amaechi as his running mate. Former Anambra Governor Peter Obi is flying the flag of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde is contesting on the Allied Peoples Movement platform.
For Nigerians who have endured three years of rising fuel prices, food inflation and declining purchasing power, Atiku's promise to make life affordable again offers a clear point of contrast with the ruling party's narrative that the reforms, though painful, are laying the foundation for future prosperity. The contest between those two narratives will define the 2027 presidential campaign. As Atiku put it, "Nigeria's wealth should ease the burden on its people. Our promise is simple: produce here, create jobs here and make life affordable again."
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