Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of turning a N66-per-litre petrol discount into a political gimmick, demanding to know who authorised NNPC Limited to bear the cost and how the company would account for the sacrifice.
Atiku said the discount raised questions about whether the administration was offering Nigerians genuine relief or using the national oil company to generate political goodwill without explaining the financial implications.
In a statement by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku questioned whether NNPC’s board approved the arrangement before the Presidency announced it.
“Tinubu wants Nigerians to cheer for N66 off a litre before they ask who ordered NNPC to surrender the money. He wants credit for the discount without showing the board approval, the cost or the account that will carry it,” he said.
Atiku argued that NNPC Limited, established as a commercial company under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), should not be treated as a convenient source of funds for presidential publicity.
He challenged the administration to explain whether the decision followed proper corporate procedures, what financial projections informed it and how the foregone margin would be reflected in the company’s accounts.
The former vice president also questioned the nationwide reach of the discount, citing NNPC Retail’s network of just over 900 stations against Nigeria’s population of roughly 242 million.
He argued that motorists could spend time and money travelling to participating outlets, queue for petrol and navigate an app to access savings that might be marginal after the additional costs.
“A press release can reach every Nigerian in a second. His discount cannot,” he said.
Atiku accused Tinubu of applying market principles selectively, saying the administration invokes market forces when Nigerians demand cheaper petrol but reaches for a discount when the President needs political applause.
He also rejected the administration’s position that the measure was not a subsidy, arguing that changing the label did not erase the cost.
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Taking a swipe at Tinubu over their previous disagreement on fuel affordability, Atiku said the President had adopted the principle of targeted relief without delivering a solution accessible to Nigerians nationwide.
“Bola, you mocked my proposal for a transparent production subsidy. Now you have borrowed its central lesson, that Nigerians need targeted relief, and come back with an app coupon lasting 30 days at a handful of stations. You borrowed the recipe for feeding a nation and returned with a tasting spoon,” he said.
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