Atiku lectured me on subsidy removal, now he wants to restore it — Oshiomhole
Senator Oshiomhole Critiques Atiku’s Fuel Subsidy Proposal
Senator Adams Oshiomhole has voiced strong opposition to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s commitment to reinstate fuel subsidies if elected president in 2027. Oshiomhole, who previously served as the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), recalled that Atiku had once articulated the need for the removal of the subsidy during his own tenure as vice president.
In an interview with TVC on Tuesday, Oshiomhole stated that Atiku’s recent campaign pledge contradicts his earlier views on the subsidy issue. “Atiku Abubakar himself, in his quiet moments, will laugh at himself. Don’t forget, I was the president of the NLC, and as vice president, Atiku lectured me about the waste of petroleum subsidy and why it was necessary to remove it, except that I disagreed with them,” Oshiomhole remarked.
The senator also raised concerns about Atiku’s consistency on economic issues, specifically referencing the former vice president’s proposal earlier this year to privatize the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). “Remember, Atiku is on record, just in 2023, as saying that he will privatize NNPC. You don’t have that tape? He even added that even if they kill him. I don’t know why he needs to die because he wants to privatize NNPC,” Oshiomhole noted.
Further questioning Atiku’s plans, Oshiomhole asked how a government could privatize a national oil company while simultaneously controlling the prices set by new owners. “So can you privatize something in private hands, and yet dictate to the new owner how to sell the product that he produces?” he inquired.
Atiku, the former presidential candidate of the Africa Democratic Congress, has advocated for the restoration of fuel subsidies as part of his proposed economic agenda, arguing it would alleviate the cost of living and enhance the affordability of petroleum products. However, Oshiomhole contends that Atiku’s contradictory positions on subsidy removal raise significant doubts regarding his latest promises.
