Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has stepped forward with a fresh commitment to ease the mounting economic pressure on citizens, promising to restore targeted relief on fuel prices if he wins the upcoming race for the presidency.
Atiku criticized the current administration’s handling of the economy, arguing that the complete removal of fuel subsidies has left ordinary households exposed to an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis. His remarks came in response to the national Independence Day address delivered by President Bola Tinubu, which Atiku felt glossed over the harsh financial realities experienced by families across the country. While the government has defended its policies as necessary long-term reforms, the former vice president maintained that labeling subsidies as merely addictive ignores the immediate duty of the state to protect its people from unbearable hardship.
Challenging other claims made by the administration, Atiku pointed out discrepancies regarding public sector welfare, noting that federal workers continue to face payment delays while retirees voice ongoing frustration over unpaid pensions. To illustrate how proactive governance functions during global economic strain, he referenced Germany’s temporary tax cuts on diesel and gasoline, which utilized government intervention to successfully lower pump prices and subsequently reduce the cost of everyday goods.
Atiku outlined a domestic-focused strategy to achieve a similar stabilizing effect at home. Rather than subsidizing imported petroleum, his proposed framework would channel targeted, strictly audited support exclusively toward fuel products refined within the country. According to his campaign, this approach would not only encourage local industrial growth and job creation but would also ensure that financial relief directly lowers the pump price for consumers. Funding for the initiative, he noted, would be drawn from cutting government waste and securing safeguards against price manipulation and product diversion.
Addressing the populace directly, Atiku expressed solidarity with those struggling to navigate the daily realities of inflation, where many are forced to compromise on basic necessities like food and transit. Emphasizing that national wealth should serve to uplift rather than burden the citizenry, he vowed to steer the economy toward greater affordability and restore a sense of financial stability to Nigerian homes.
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