Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has promised to restore the petrol subsidy if he wins the 2027 presidential election.
Atiku made the pledge during an interview on Wednesday while questioning the use of funds he said were saved following the removal of the subsidy.
He said the policy could have been beneficial to Nigerians if the savings had been properly accounted for and invested in areas such as poverty reduction and education.
“I did not oppose the removal of the oil subsidy, but where is the money? Where did it go? It was intended to reduce poverty and help children attend school. Where is the money now? It seems they are just stealing it,” Atiku said in Hausa.
“If elected, I will bring back the oil subsidy, and whoever stole the money must refund it.”
The former vice president said he would also consider the removal of the subsidy if the funds generated from the policy were transparently used to address the country’s development challenges.
“The government successfully removed the subsidy, but we do not know where the money went. If they had used the money for development, to solve security problems, for education, and to create opportunities for the youth, it would be different. If elected, I can remove the subsidy and use the money to do all these properly.”
Tribune Online reports that President Bola Tinubu announced the removal of the petrol subsidy during his inaugural address on May 29, 2023, shortly after assuming office.
