African Democratic Congress presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has pledged to bring back the petrol subsidy if he wins the 2027 presidential election.
The former Vice President made the promise during a Hausa-language interview, arguing that the removal of the subsidy has not delivered the improvements Nigerians were promised.
Atiku said he would also pursue the recovery of any public funds allegedly stolen from the subsidy scheme, insisting that those responsible should return the money.
President Bola Tinubu ended the petrol subsidy on May 29, 2023, shortly after taking office, describing the arrangement as unsustainable.
The Federal Government said on Wednesday that the removal of the subsidy, alongside the liberalisation of the foreign exchange market, generated N15.8tn in resources for the Federation between June 2023 and December 2025.
Atiku, however, questioned what Nigerians had gained from the policy, saying the country had not experienced the level of improvement that should have accompanied the additional resources.
He acknowledged that he had initially backed the decision to remove the subsidy but said the situation since then had changed his position.
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“I initially did not oppose the removal of the fuel subsidy. But now that it has been removed, where is the money?” Atiku said.
He said a government led by him would reverse the policy and restore the subsidy if he wins the January 2027 presidential election.
He added, “If I win the presidential election, I will restore the subsidy. And anyone who stole Nigeria’s subsidy funds must return the money. Now it has been removed. Where is the money? If the funds were used to improve healthcare, education, insecurity, security and youth empowerment, things would have been better.”
Atiku also challenged the government’s account of the savings generated by the reforms, questioning the reported figure of about N15tn.
He attributed the hardship confronting Nigerians largely to what he described as corruption and injustice within the political system.
The ADC candidate argued that previous administrations had recovered funds stolen from the public purse and said similar efforts should be applied to money allegedly diverted from fuel subsidy arrangements.
His pledge to restore the subsidy represents a reversal of his earlier position on its removal and places the cost and management of petrol at the centre of his economic argument ahead of the 2027 election.