The Presidency has challenged former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to clarify his petrol subsidy proposal after conflicting explanations emerged from his camp within a week.
Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made the call in a statement on Wednesday, August 26, 2026.
Atiku’s spokesperson, Paul Ibe, had said the former vice-president would restore petrol subsidy if elected in 2027 and later phase it out as economic conditions improved.
But another aide, Phrank Shaibu, disputed the account, saying Atiku was not proposing a return to the former subsidy regime or a fixed withdrawal date.
Shaibu said the intervention would be targeted, capped, transparently budgeted and independently audited, with its withdrawal tied to expanded domestic refining, stable supply and stronger competition.
Atiku later reaffirmed his commitment to what he called a “targeted subsidy”, saying it would reduce fuel and transport costs, strengthen domestic refining and restore purchasing power.
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Onanuga said the conflicting explanations raised questions about the proposal’s coherence and sustainability.
He challenged Atiku to disclose its projected cost, funding source, beneficiaries and exit conditions.
The presidential aide also rejected the suggestion that petrol prices alone drive Nigeria’s food inflation, citing exchange rates, agricultural output, insecurity, logistics, storage, flooding and input costs as other major factors.
He further questioned Atiku’s plan to support domestic refiners through preferential crude supplies, noting that crude produces several petroleum products beyond petrol.
The dispute follows President Tinubu’s removal of petrol subsidy on May 29, 2023, a reform that has remained central to his economic agenda and a major source of political debate.
Atiku’s renewed pledge has pushed subsidy policy back into the 2027 campaign, with the former vice-president advocating targeted intervention and the Presidency questioning its fiscal cost and implementation.
Onanuga urged Atiku to present Nigerians with a clear, costed and accountable plan before seeking support for the proposal.