Senator Adams Oshiomhole, former president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has questioned former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s plan to restore petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027.
Oshiomhole said Atiku had previously argued in favour of removing petroleum subsidy during his time as vice president, when Oshiomhole was leading the NLC.
The Edo North senator made the remarks on Tuesday during an interview with TVC while responding to Atiku’s campaign promise to reintroduce a form of fuel subsidy.
“Atiku Abubakar himself, in his quiet moment, will laugh at himself. Don’t forget, I was the president of the NLC, and as vice president, Atiku lectured me about the waste of petroleum subsidy and why it is necessary to remove it, except that I disagree with them,” Oshiomhole said.
Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has repeatedly said he would restore petrol subsidy if elected in 2027, arguing that the policy could help reduce the cost of living and improve Nigerians’ purchasing power.
He initially announced the pledge in August and later clarified that his proposal would involve a targeted and capped intervention focused on domestic production and refining rather than a return to the previous import-subsidy system.
Oshiomhole also questioned Atiku’s position on the future of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), recalling comments attributed to the former vice president during the 2023 presidential campaign.
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“Remember, Atiku is on record, just in 2023, as saying that he will privatise NNPC. You don’t have that tape? He even added that even if they kill him. I don’t know why he needs to die because he wants to privatise NNPC,” Oshiomhole said.
He subsequently questioned how a privatised national oil company could operate if the government continued to determine the price at which its petroleum products were sold.
“So can you privatise something in private hands, and yet dictate to the new owner how to sell the product that he produces?” he asked.
Atiku’s current position represents a change from his publicly stated position during the 2023 presidential campaign. During that period, he argued that petrol subsidy was unsustainable and should eventually be removed, although he also advocated consultations with organised labour and other stakeholders over the process.
Atiku has since argued that the economic circumstances following the removal of the subsidy warrant a different approach. He has questioned how the savings from subsidy removal have been used and said his proposed intervention would focus on reducing energy costs and improving purchasing power.
The Federal Government, meanwhile, has defended the 2023 subsidy removal as a major fiscal reform, while the policy has remained a contentious issue because of its effect on fuel prices, transportation costs and household expenses.
The subsidy debate is expected to remain a significant economic policy issue as political parties and presidential candidates set out their positions ahead of the 2027 general election.