Atiku Abubakar clarifies stance on fuel subsidy, disowns aide's comments

He clarified his position after one of his media aides, Paul Ibe, made comments during an interview that Atiku stated were not authorized. Atiku emphasized that his proposed subsidy would be targeted at domestic production and would not be a return to the old import-driven system. His Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, further explained that the intervention would be a "targeted, capped, transparently budgeted and independently audited subsidy" for domestic refining and production, phased out as domestic refining capacity expands and the market stabilizes.

Atiku argued that a nation like Nigeria should not abandon its citizens to hardship and that his policy aims to restore purchasing power, reduce energy costs, and support Nigerian production. This clarification comes as the fuel subsidy debate is central to the 2027 presidential contest, following President Bola Tinubu's abolition of the petrol subsidy in May 2023, which led to increased petrol prices and a cost-of-living crisis.