Tinubu’s fuel subsidy removal is economic apartheid – Atiku tackles Presidency
Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress and former Vice President of Nigeria, criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to abolish the fuel subsidy, labeling it an instance of “economic apartheid.” His remarks were made in a statement from his media team on Sunday, amidst ongoing tensions between his campaign and the Tinubu administration regarding fuel subsidy policies.
Recently, the Tinubu administration reported achieving N15.8 trillion in fuel subsidy savings over the past three years. In response, Atiku has proposed reinstating a fuel subsidy if he is elected in 2027. However, officials from the presidency have dismissed Atiku’s claims, asserting that he does not have the country’s best interests at heart.
In his recent statement, Atiku argued that instead of eliminating the subsidy, President Tinubu redistributed economic resources from the impoverished to the wealthy. He characterized the administration’s actions as propagandistic and claimed their policies are failing under scrutiny.
“At the Eagle Square, Tinubu proclaimed that the subsidy was eliminated. This exemplifies the deception at the core of Tinubunomics. This approach does not constitute reform; rather, it represents a distortion of economic principles,” Atiku stated. “You cannot provide benefits to the wealthy while penalizing relief for the citizens. This is not economic reform; it is an expression of classic economic apartheid.”
President Tinubu ended the fuel subsidy in May 2023, a decision that resulted in a significant rise in petrol prices across the nation.
