A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Faizu Alfindiki, has questioned former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s decision to promise the restoration of petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027.
Alfindiki said Atiku’s current position appeared inconsistent with his stance during the 2023 presidential election, when he reportedly advocated the removal of the subsidy within his first 100 days in office.
Atiku, who is now the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), recently said he would restore the petrol subsidy if elected in 2027, arguing that Nigerians had not benefited sufficiently from the savings generated by its removal.
In a statement made available to journalists in Kano on Friday, Alfindiki said Nigerians were justified in questioning the former vice-president’s change in position.
“Today, Atiku is presenting subsidy restoration as a solution, whereas his position before the 2023 election was that subsidy should be removed. Nigerians are entitled to ask what has changed and why,” he said.
The APC chieftain acknowledged that the removal of the subsidy had caused significant hardship for Nigerians but argued that returning to the previous system could further strain government finances.
According to him, the former subsidy regime placed a heavy burden on public finances and created distortions in the petroleum market.
He said the removal of the subsidy was a difficult but necessary decision that should have been accompanied by measures to protect vulnerable Nigerians, improve domestic refining capacity and strengthen the economy.
Alfindiki argued that the current debate should go beyond whether petrol subsidy should be restored, stressing the need to make petroleum products more affordable through increased local refining, improved infrastructure and greater investment in the sector.
He also called on the Federal Government to account for the revenue and savings generated since the subsidy was removed, saying Nigerians deserved transparency on how the funds were being utilised.
“President Tinubu should be held accountable for how the savings and additional revenues are used. That accountability is important. But accountability should not be confused with returning Nigeria to a system that was financially unsustainable,” he said.
Alfindiki challenged Atiku and other political leaders advocating subsidy restoration to explain how the policy would be financed without placing additional pressure on government finances.
He warned that reinstating the subsidy could divert funds earmarked for critical sectors, including infrastructure, education and healthcare.
The APC chieftain said Nigeria needed policies that would strengthen local production, create jobs and reduce dependence on imported petroleum products rather than relying on subsidies to address economic challenges.
“Nigerians need a government that will build a productive economy, not one that simply promises to make difficult problems disappear through subsidies,” Alfindiki said.
He added that Nigeria’s economic debate should be guided by facts, transparency and long-term national interest rather than electoral rhetoric.
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