2027: I will return fuel subsidy – Atiku

African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has vowed to restore fuel subsidy if elected President in 2027, reversing his earlier support for its removal.

The former Vice President said President Bola Tinubu’s decision to end the subsidy regime had failed to deliver sufficient benefits to Nigerians and demanded an account of the savings generated by the policy.

Tinubu announced the end of petrol subsidy during his inauguration on May 29, 2023, describing the scheme as unsustainable.

Atiku acknowledged that he initially supported the removal but said developments since then had changed his position.

“I initially did not oppose the removal of the fuel subsidy. But now that it has been removed, where is the money?” Atiku said during a social media interview.

He questioned whether the proceeds had translated into improvements in critical sectors.

“Has it been used to improve healthcare, education or security?” he asked.

Atiku then pledged to reverse the policy if he defeats Tinubu in the January 2027 presidential election.

“If I win the presidential election, I will restore the subsidy. And anyone who stole Nigeria’s subsidy funds must return the money,” he said.

His declaration places fuel subsidy firmly among the major economic battle lines of the 2027 presidential campaign.

The Tinubu administration has consistently defended the removal, arguing that the old system placed an unsustainable burden on public finances and diverted resources needed for development.

Tinubu said in May that his administration inherited mounting fiscal pressures, including what he described as unsustainable fuel subsidies, and maintained that ending the regime was necessary to stabilise the economy.

The government has also pointed to increased allocations to states, infrastructure investment and improved government revenues as benefits arising from its economic reforms.

Atiku, however, has intensified demands for greater transparency over subsidy-removal proceeds, recently challenging the Federal Government to account for revenues and savings he said required public explanation.

The former Vice President will face Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, and other candidates in the 2027 presidential race.