By Osaretin Osadebamwen
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has said its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, will not restore the old fuel subsidy regime if elected president in 2027, but would introduce alternative measures to reduce production costs and protect Nigerians from high energy prices.
National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, made the clarification during a television interview while defending Atiku’s recent position on fuel subsidy and criticising the economic policies of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
Abdullahi said Atiku’s proposal should not be interpreted as an attempt to return to the subsidy arrangement that existed before its removal by the Tinubu administration.
According to him, there are different models of subsidy used by countries around the world, including production subsidies and targeted assistance for vulnerable citizens.
He said Nigeria could explore similar alternatives instead of leaving consumers completely exposed to market forces.
“What Atiku Abubakar is saying is that I will subsidise production,” Abdullahi said.
He explained that subsidising production could reduce the cost of producing petroleum products without necessarily recreating the previous pump-price subsidy arrangement.
The ADC spokesman also advocated targeted or means-tested subsidies for Nigerians who genuinely need government support.
He noted that some countries provide subsidies based on income levels, allowing people below specified income thresholds to benefit from government intervention.
However, he acknowledged that Nigeria currently lacks a sufficiently robust social register that could make such targeted intervention easier to implement.
Abdullahi argued that the government has a responsibility to protect citizens from economic shocks, particularly when policies have significantly increased the cost of transportation, food and other necessities.
He also defended the principle behind Atiku’s proposal, saying government should be willing to reconsider policies when evidence shows that they are causing hardship.
“Leadership is also about responsiveness. A responsible leader follows evidence,” he said.
According to Abdullahi, the ADC’s position is anchored on the belief that the welfare and wellbeing of Nigerians should remain at the centre of economic policy.
He said the party’s governance principles require it to focus on eliminating poverty and alleviating the suffering of Nigerians, adding that candidates seeking office on its platform had committed themselves to those principles.
Abdullahi also rejected the argument that any attempt to intervene in fuel pricing automatically meant a return to the old subsidy system.
He argued that the Petroleum Industry Act and other regulatory frameworks should be reviewed where necessary if they prevent government from protecting citizens.
“For God’s sake, the law is made for the people. People are not made for the law,” Abdullahi said.
He maintained that the debate should therefore focus on the mechanism for reducing the burden on Nigerians rather than accusations that opposition parties simply want to reverse the Tinubu administration’s reforms.
The controversy comes after Atiku recently spoke in favour of returning fuel subsidy in a different policy context, arguing that government should intervene to reduce the burden of high petrol prices on Nigerians. His position has since become a major point of debate as political parties position themselves ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
