Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of turning fuel price relief into an election-season tactic, questioning why Nigerians must endure years of high costs before getting a 30-day discount.
Atiku said the Federal Government’s proposed discount at Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) filling stations was a temporary political gesture that would do little to ease the cost-of-living crisis.
In a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku described the initiative as an inadequate response to the hardship caused by high petrol prices.
He asked what would happen after the 30-day window expires, warning that motorists, transport operators and households could return to the same financial pressure.
“What happens on Day 31?” the former vice-president asked, arguing that temporary relief would not address high transport fares and rising food prices.
Atiku also faulted the government for limiting the proposed discount to NNPC stations without disclosing how much consumers would save per litre.
He questioned whether transport operators would pass any savings on to passengers, warning that motorists could benefit from cheaper petrol without commuters experiencing lower fares.
The former vice-president said the proposed intervention exposed a contradiction in the administration’s position on fuel support, arguing that the government was now considering temporary relief after repeatedly defending policies that had imposed hardship on Nigerians.
Atiku renewed his call for a capped, budgeted production-support programme tied to fuel refined locally, with safeguards to ensure consumers benefit while domestic refining receives support.
He maintained that such a framework would offer a more sustainable alternative to a short-term discount.
The ADC chieftain said Nigerians needed lasting measures to reduce the cost of living rather than temporary concessions that would expire without resolving the underlying economic difficulties.
He restated his promise to make life more affordable, declaring: “Tinubu made life expensive. I will make life affordable again.”