Ṣé mímú padà bọ̀ ìrànwọ́ owó epo (fuel subsidy) yóò mú ìnira ọrọ̀-ajé àti òṣì burú sí i dípò kí ó ràn àwọn ọmọ Nàìjíríà lọ́wọ́?
On fuel subsidy, I have made my position clear: I will restore it, but not so that Nigeria continues paying for fuel imported from abroad. I am restoring it so that Nigerians can produce more fuel at home, pay less, and keep more money in their pockets. This is the difference between an import subsidy and a production subsidy. Just as I would rather subsidize a shoemaker in Aba to lower his costs and sell shoes cheaply, instead of spending public money to artificially cheapen shoes imported from abroad, I will subsidize crude oil refined in Nigeria so that our refineries can produce at a cheaper price and you pay less.
This matters more to me. I want your bus fare to go down. I want the cost of bringing food from the farm to the market to go down. I want the trader to spend less, and the same for the barber, the tailor, the welder, and the small trader to spend less on energy.
I will restore it as a direct subsidy, because I want purchasing power to return to your hands. I want your salary to regain its value. I want farmers to be able to transport their produce without transportation swallowing their profit. I want families to fill their baskets without emptying their pockets. I want businesses to produce, employ workers, and thrive.
If fuel goes up, transportation goes up. If transportation goes up, food goes up. If food goes up, families suffer. I have decided to break this chain.
Source:
• Post by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/1798409081620779419, 2024-06-05 (Post on X)
"President Bola Tinubu, at his inauguration on May 29, 2023, announced the abolishment of the subsidy on PMS, popularly known as fuel. Ever since, it has been…"
• Post by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/1798420836283519275, 2024-06-05 (Post on X)
"President Bola Tinubu, at his inauguration on May 29, 2023, announced the abolishment of the subsidy on PMS, popularly known as fuel. Ever since, it has been…"
• Post by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/2098476924813115799, 2026-09-11 (Post on X)
"My dear Francis, thank you for taking the time to truly understand what I am proposing. That means a great deal to me. I am not restoring subsidy so that Nig…"
• Post by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/2092352657570599192, 2026-08-25 (Post on X)
"On the question of subsidy, my position has not changed and will not change: I will restore it! A nation as blessed as ours has no business abandoning its ci…"
This response was translated by a machine from English and has not yet been reviewed by a translator.
Àwọn ìdáhùn tó wà lórí ojú-ìwé yìí ni a túmọ̀ láti èdè Gẹ̀ẹ́sì nípasẹ̀ ẹ̀rọ, kò sì tíì ṣàyẹ̀wò rẹ̀ láti ọwọ́ atúmọ̀-èdè kan.
Ibi tí èyí ti wá
ojú ìwé 3 Introduction Atiku Abubakar: Answers to questions from the public 2026-10-02 ›
Q6: Farmers produce food, but bad roads, poor market access and post-harvest losses mean produce either spoils or becomes expensive before reaching consumers. How will you solve this? Answer: My administration will prioritize farm-to-market rural feeder roads under public-private partnerships, establish regional agro-processing zones near farming clusters, and deploy off-grid solar cold-storage facilities to eliminate post-harvest spoilage. Q7: Fertilizer and other farming inputs are too expensive. How will you make farming more affordable and profitable for farmers? Answer: My policy deploys a direct e-wallet input delivery system to provide subsidized fertilizers, high-yield seeds, and pest protection directly to verified smallholders, bypassing middlemen while expanding low-interest agricultural loans via the Bank of Agriculture. Q8: Nigeria has large areas of agricultural land but still imports significant amounts of food. What is your plan for increasing domestic food production and food security? Answer: My strategy expands large-scale irrigation systems (dams and boreholes) for year-round farming, encourages commercial agriculture alongside smallholder development, and deploys Agro-Rangers to secure farmland against attacks.
Post on X Post by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/1798409081620779419 2024-06-05 ›
President Bola Tinubu, at his inauguration on May 29, 2023, announced the abolishment of the subsidy on PMS, popularly known as fuel.
Ever since, it has been a bragging right of Tinubu and officials of his administration.
I had in my statement reviewing the one year of the Bola Tinubu administration urged the government to come clean on the actual position of the subsidy policy.
These were my exact words: "...provide clarity on the fuel subsidy regime, including the fiscal commitments and benefits from the fuel subsidy reform and the impact of this on the Federation Accounts. It is curious that since April 2024, fuel queues have mounted at many filling stations across Nigeria, and the infamous ‘black market’ has sprouted in several states. How much PMS is being imported and distributed, and at what cost? What is the implicit subsidy?"
If the subsidy regime had been characterised by opaqueness, what would we say of a situation where the subsidy is still being paid under the cover without Nigerians in the know?
Post on X Post by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/1798420836283519275 2024-06-05 ›
President Bola Tinubu, at his inauguration on May 29, 2023, announced the abolishment of the subsidy on PMS, popularly known as fuel.
Ever since, it has been a bragging right of Tinubu and officials of his administration.
I had in my statement reviewing the one year of the Bola Tinubu administration urged the government to come clean on the actual position of the subsidy policy.
These were my exact words: "...provide clarity on the fuel subsidy regime, including the fiscal commitments and benefits from the fuel subsidy reform and the impact of this on the Federation Accounts. It is curious that since April 2024, fuel queues have mounted at many filling stations across Nigeria, and the infamous ‘black market’ has sprouted in several states. How much PMS is being imported and distributed, and at what cost? What is the implicit subsidy?"
If the subsidy regime had been characterised by opaqueness, what would we say of a situation where the subsidy is still being paid under the cover without Nigerians in the know?
Post on X Post by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/1825563372156342544 2024-08-19 ›
The latest revelations circulating through credible media outlets regarding the federal government's covert continuation of the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) represent another chapter in the opaque governance under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. This development starkly contrasts with the President's firm assertions in a national broadcast, which followed closely on the heels of public protests decrying poor governance, where he declared the subsidy regime concluded. However, disclosures prior to his announcement have consistently indicated a resurgence of subsidy payments, albeit through less transparent means.
This dissonance between the President’s words and his actions not only undermines the moral fabric of his leadership but also significantly erodes the credibility of his administration. At a time when the nation grapples with severe fuel scarcity and escalating energy costs, the continued delays in the re-operation of the Port Harcourt refinery stand as a national disgrace — a failure that rests firmly on the shoulders of President Tinubu, who also holds the office of the Minister of Petroleum Resources.
Thread on X Thread by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/1853078096372535359 2024-11-03 ›
We would have been guided by my robust reform agenda as encapsulated in 'My Covenant With Nigerians', my policy document that sought to, among others, protect our fragile economy against much deeper crisis by preventing business collapse; our document had spelt out policies that were consistent and coherent.
We would have sequenced my reforms to achieve fiscal and monetary congruence. Unleashing reforms to determine an appropriate exchange rate, cost-reflective electricity tariff, and PMS price at one and the same time is certainly an overkill. Add CBN’s bullish money tightening spree. As importers of PMS and other petroleum products, removing subsidy on these products without a stable exchange rate would be counterproductive.
We would have been more strategic in our response to reform fallout. We would not over-estimate the efficacy of the reform measures or underestimate the potential costs of reforms. I would recognise that reforms could sometimes fail. I would not underestimate the numerous delivery challenges, including the weaknesses of our institutions, and would work assiduously to correct the same. I would, as a responsible leader, pause, reflect, and where necessary, review implementation.
Post on X Post by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/1876566326732374044 2025-01-07 ›
The inflammatory remarks issued by the Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Felix Morka, directed at @PeterObi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last general election, serve as a disturbing emblem of the current administration's unsettling strategy in addressing opposition figures. This threat against Obi, coupled with the prolonged detention of Mahdi Shehu, a prominent voice of dissent and others, signals a worrisome shift towards an authoritarian governance model, where the rights of opposition voices are being suffocated.
The choice of words used by the APC’s spokesperson, particularly the ominous suggestion that Obi has "crossed the line," reveals an alarming disdain for democratic principles. Such language, rooted in hostility, has no place in a free society where civil discourse and engagement should reign supreme. A true democracy thrives on the healthy exchange of ideas, where the criticisms and contributions of opposition leaders, like Peter Obi, are seen as vital for the betterment of governance and the promotion of public accountability.
Thread on X Thread by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/2050126729478304027 2026-05-01 ›
The Nigerian worker, the teacher, the nurse, the factory hand, the civil servant, the artisan, has been the primary victim of an administration that, by all observable evidence, is far more interested in increasing the revenue at its disposal than in improving the lives of the citizens it governs.
Trillions Saved, But Nothing Felt.
The fuel subsidy removal was a necessary step, recklessly executed.
Let me be clear: the removal of the fuel subsidy was, in principle, a policy that many, including myself, had long advocated. The subsidy had become a fiscal haemorrhage that enriched cabal middlemen while denying the government of the resources needed for development. Its removal was necessary and overdue.
But the manner in which the Tinubu administration executed this policy was irresponsible and callous. On the day of inauguration, with no preparation, no safety nets, no cushioning mechanisms, and no transition plan for ordinary Nigerians, the President announced the end of the subsidy. The price of fuel skyrocketed. Transportation costs doubled and tripled overnight. The cost of food and basic goods hit the roof. The Nigerian worker, who was already struggling to survive on a salary eroded by years of inflation, was suddenly confronted with a cost of living that made mere survival feel like a luxury.
Post on X Post by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/2092352657570599192 2026-08-25 ›
On the question of subsidy, my position has not changed and will not change: I will restore it! A nation as blessed as ours has no business abandoning its citizens to hardship. Nigeria is rich enough to look after her own.
I believe the wealth of a nation is not measured by how much government collects, but by how much the money in the pockets of its people can buy.
I want wages to have value again. I want farmers to move produce without transport swallowing their profits. I want families to fill their baskets without emptying their pockets. I want businesses to produce, employ and prosper.
That is why I will restore targeted subsidy and put purchasing power back in the hands of Nigerians.
When fuel rises, transport rises. When transport rises, food rises. When food rises, families suffer.
I will break that wretched chain that has defined our national life in the nearly four years of Tinubu’s presidency.
Article on X Article by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/2094810791937446399 2026-09-01 ›
Atiku has more important people to engage directly: the mother struggling to feed her children; the civil servant whose salary disappears into transportation; the farmer paying more to move produce to market; the student being pushed into debt simply to remain in school; and millions of Nigerians whose daily reality bears no resemblance to the prosperity advertised in your tweets.
And that is where the contradiction in your statement becomes impossible to ignore. You condemn Atiku’s proposal to reduce the cost of energy as a return to the past, yet in the same breath promise that, “in the next few weeks,” your government will provide cheaper transportation, increase food production and introduce relief for vulnerable Nigerians. Bola, why now?
For more than three years, Nigerians have endured punishing transport fares, soaring food prices, crippling energy costs and wages that buy less every month. Families have skipped meals, postponed medical treatment, withdrawn children from schools and abandoned basic plans simply to survive. Throughout that period, your government repeatedly told Nigerians that their suffering was the unavoidable price of reform. Now, suddenly, cheaper transportation has become urgent.
Article on X Article by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/2094810791937446399 2026-09-01 ›
Atiku’s argument is precisely the opposite. Reduce the cost of energy so that salaries buy more. Reduce transport costs so that less of a worker’s wage disappears merely getting to work. Reduce the cost of moving food so families spend less in the market. Reduce the cost of living so students spend less on upkeep and parents have more money left after food, rent and transportation.
You cannot make life painfully expensive, push students towards debt to survive the consequences, and then frighten those same students that cheaper fuel will take their loans away. Nor can you tell workers that a policy designed to restore value to their wages will somehow take those wages from them. That is not economic reform. It is scarecrow propaganda built on witchcraft economics.
And while you celebrate statistics, Nigerians still deserve answers about the enormous sums surrounding your so-called reforms. Your government says subsidy removal mobilised about ₦15.8 trillion between June 2023 and December 2025. Nigerians surrendered cheap fuel. They paid more for transportation. They paid more for food. They watched the value of their wages collapse. So what measurable improvement reached the average Nigerian household in exchange for that sacrifice?
Article on X Article by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/2098441590184264064 2026-09-11 ›
The Presidency turned it into a campaign of fear. “A refinery that has invested billions of dollars cannot be commanded to sell indefinitely below cost and absorb the losses. That would be reckless, economically destructive and unfair to any private investor. “But that is precisely why our proposal is different. “We are restoring subsidy through a production subsidy model, not an import subsidy model. “The difference is simple enough for every Nigerian to understand. Import subsidy spends public money supporting petrol refined abroad and brought into Nigeria. Production subsidy supports crude refined here in Nigeria so that Nigerian refineries can produce fuel more cheaply and Nigerians can pay less. “Think of it like rice.
Article on X Article by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/2098441590184264064 2026-09-11 ›
“There is a clear difference between helping a producer reduce costs and forcing that producer to sell at a loss. “The Tinubu Presidency knows this. If it pretends otherwise, then it is not confused. It is deliberately misleading Nigerians.”
Atiku said the government’s attempt to equate every subsidy with import dependence was a brazen, dishonest and crude distortion designed to mislead Nigerians of the policy debate. “Under our plan, support will be tied strictly to crude refined in Nigeria. Nigerian refineries will benefit. Nigerian workers will benefit. Nigerian businesses will benefit. Nigerian consumers will benefit. “If you do not refine in Nigeria, you do not qualify. “This is not a subsidy for foreign refineries. It is not a subsidy for importers. It is not a subsidy for middlemen.
Post on X Post by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/2098476924813115799 2026-09-11 ›
My dear Francis, thank you for taking the time to truly understand what I am proposing. That means a great deal to me.
I am not restoring subsidy so that Nigeria can keep paying for imported petrol. I am restoring subsidy so that Nigerians can produce more at home, pay less for fuel, and keep more money in their pockets.
That is the difference between import subsidy and production subsidy.
Think about shoes. If government wants Nigerians to buy shoes more cheaply, it can spend public money making imported shoes cheaper, or it can support shoemakers in Aba to reduce their production costs so they can make more shoes here, employ more Nigerians and sell at more affordable prices.
I choose the Aba shoemaker.
I will do the same with fuel. We will support crude refined in Nigeria so our refineries can produce at a lower cost and you can pay less.
But for me, this is bigger than fuel.
I want the bus fare you pay every morning to come down. I want the cost of taking food from the farm to the market to come down. I want the trader to spend less. I want the barber, tailor, welder and small business owner to spend less on energy.
Article on X Article by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/2100618980339646804 2026-09-17 ›
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the figures must be considered alongside the pressure that food, transportation and energy costs are placing on household budgets.
“This is the most heartbreaking face of the cost-of-living crisis. Behind every statistic is a Nigerian mother struggling to decide what her children can eat, how much they can eat and how often they can eat.
“A child does not understand inflation figures. A child only knows whether there is food on the table.
“When nutritious food moves beyond the reach of millions of families, the consequences eventually appear in the bodies of our children. Today, the country is being confronted with figures that should shock the conscience of every leader.”
Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics currently reports food inflation at 19.57 per cent, even as households continue to contend with high prices accumulated over recent years.
Article on X Article by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/2100618980339646804 2026-09-17 ›
“My position is straightforward: support what Nigeria produces and refines, lower domestic production costs, and ensure that the benefit reaches the Nigerian consumer.
“This is not an import subsidy. If you do not refine in Nigeria, you do not qualify.
“The subsidy follows the barrel refined in Nigeria.
“Produce here. Refine here. Create jobs here. Pay less here.”
Atiku said reducing the underlying cost of energy was important not only because Nigerians buy petrol, but because energy and transportation costs run through agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, markets and household expenditure.
“My production-subsidy proposal is therefore not simply a petrol policy. It is part of a broader affordability programme.
“I want the farmer to spend less getting produce to market. I want the trader to spend less transporting goods. I want the bus driver to spend less on fuel. I want parents to have more money left after transportation so that they can put better food on the table.
Article on X Article by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/2102445684846694501 2026-09-22 ›
It is the collective cry of Nigerian families who can no longer afford food, workers whose salaries disappear on transportation, farmers who cannot move their produce to market and businesses collapsing under the weight of fuel and energy costs. “For three and a half harrowing years, Nigerians have suffered under Tinubu’s reckless ‘subsidy is gone’ experiment. Transport costs have exploded. Food prices have soared. Businesses have collapsed. Purchasing power has been destroyed, and millions of families have been pushed deeper into poverty. “The survey simply confirms what Nigerians already know: Tinubu’s fuel policy has caused far more harm than good. The policy has been rejected, and the government responsible for it must also be rejected,” Atiku said.
Article on X Article by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/2102445684846694501 2026-09-22 ›
The former Vice President reiterated that his proposed intervention would not revive the corrupt and opaque subsidy regime of the past. Instead, it would introduce a transparent production subsidy tied strictly to petroleum products refined in Nigeria and sold to Nigerians. “If elected, from May 29, 2027, I will introduce a transparent production subsidy for petroleum products refined in Nigeria and sold to Nigerians. “Imports will not qualify. The programme will have a fixed spending limit, National Assembly approval and independent audits. Its purpose will be to reduce fuel prices, strengthen domestic refining, create Nigerian jobs and restore the purchasing power that this administration has destroyed. “The 67.4 per cent demanding relief represents a democratic majority.
Thread on X Thread by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/2105231016235315477 2026-09-30 ›
TINUBU PROTESTED JONATHAN’S FUEL PRICES. FIVE NIGERIANS ARE NOW REPORTEDLY IN CUSTODY OVER “TINUBU MUST GO” T-SHIRTS — ATIKU
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has demanded the immediate release of five Nigerians reportedly arrested in Borno State over T-shirts bearing the words “Tinubu Must Go.” He said that if a political slogan is the reason for their detention, those responsible must explain how wearing a shirt became an offence in a democracy.
In a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku said President Bola Tinubu once stood with Nigerians protesting fuel prices under President Goodluck Jonathan, but now presides over a cost-of-living crisis that has made the same fuel, along with food, transport and electricity, painfully expensive.
“Tinubu opposed Jonathan’s fuel policy in the streets. Nigerians are living with the consequences of Tinubu’s fuel policy in their homes. Parents are cutting meals. Workers can scarcely afford the journey to work. Families are being crushed by bills that rise faster than their income. And when citizens put their anger on a T-shirt, the response is reportedly an arrest. What kind of democracy grants its President the right to protest, then takes that right away from everyone else?” Atiku asked.
ojú ìwé 28 ○ To the North: Niger Party Manifesto 2027-2031 2026-10-05 ›
● Establish an independent Internal Affairs Agency to investigate misconduct within police and other security services
8. Internal Security and Crime Prevention Strengthen response to banditry and kidnapping.
Details: Establish Anti-Banditry and Kidnapping Special Units in every state command, made up of highly trained and mobile personnel
9. Adopt a firehose principle for security coordination.
We will drive continuous, high-volume coordination across jurisdictions, both internally and externally, to ensure faster responses, stronger intelligence sharing, and more effective security outcomes.
Details:
● Strengthen internal security collaboration by enabling bordering states to jointly plan and execute security operations, share intelligence in real time, and coordinate responses to threats, regardless of regional grouping ● Establish joint security task frameworks between neighbouring countries facing similar threats such as banditry, kidnapping, and cross-border crime ● Strengthen external security cooperation with Nigeria's neighbours:
ojú ìwé 1 CANDIDATE-APPROVED ANSWER Candidate-approved answer 2026-10-14 ›
Ask AA answers you from what I have published: my plans, my manifesto and the positions I have set out in public. Most answers are put together by an AI system from those documents and checked against them before you see them. Where my published record does not cover your question, I prepare an answer and send it to you. Some audio is AI generated from my written answers.