Atiku reaffirms plan to restore fuel subsidy if elected

Politics

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has reiterated his campaign pledge to restore a targeted fuel subsidy if elected President, saying the policy would help cushion the economic hardship facing Nigerians.

The former Vice President restated his position on Tuesday after receiving the Osun State leadership of the ADC in Abuja, arguing that government economic policies should ultimately improve the purchasing power and living conditions of citizens.

Atiku said his position on fuel subsidy was based on his belief that the strength of an economy should not be measured solely by government revenue, but also by what citizens can afford with the money in their pockets.

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“On the question of subsidy, my position has not changed and will not change: I will restore it! A nation as blessed as ours has no business abandoning its citizens to hardship. Nigeria is rich enough to look after her own,” he said.

The former Vice President argued that rising fuel prices have broader consequences for households and businesses because increased energy and transportation costs feed into the prices of food and other essential goods.

“When fuel rises, transport rises. When transport rises, food rises. When food rises, families suffer,” he said.

Against this backdrop, Atiku said his proposed policy would focus on restoring purchasing power while supporting domestic production and reducing energy costs.

“I want wages to have value again. I want farmers to move produce without transport swallowing their profits. I want families to fill their baskets without emptying their pockets. I want businesses to produce, employ and prosper,” he said.

He said he would pursue what he described as a targeted subsidy, rather than a return to what he called an “import racket”.

“That is why I will restore targeted subsidy and put purchasing power back in the hands of Nigerians,” Atiku said.

“I will support Nigerian production, reduce energy costs and restore purchasing power. I will not restore the import racket; I will restore relief.”

Atiku also criticised the economic hardship experienced by Nigerians under the current administration, saying he would seek to reverse what he described as a chain of rising costs that has affected households, farmers and businesses.

“I will break that wretched chain that has defined our national life in the nearly four years of Tinubu’s presidency,” he said.

The former Vice President further pledged to pursue policies aimed at strengthening the naira’s purchasing power and making essential goods and services more affordable.

“I will make the naira in your pocket worth more, make daily living affordable again, and secure our people.

“Economic security. Physical security. A better life for every Nigerian. That is the Nigeria I intend to build,” Atiku said.

His latest comments reinforce the ADC candidate’s campaign position that government intervention in the energy sector remains necessary to protect household purchasing power, while combining such measures with increased domestic production and lower energy costs.