Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has promised to restore a fuel subsidy if he wins the 2027 presidential election. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate made the pledge in a fiery reply to President Bola Tinubu, who had said Nigeria will never return to subsidised petrol prices. The Atiku fuel subsidy promise came in a statement issued on Saturday, November 7, 2026.
Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, signed the statement. It answered Tinubu’s remarks at the All Progressives Congress (APC) rally in Port Harcourt, where the president criticised Atiku and blamed the opposition for the hunger in the country. In response, Atiku said Tinubu created poverty and then insulted the people who suffer from it.
The ADC candidate then addressed the subsidy directly. “You say Nigeria will never return to subsidised petrol prices. You are wrong,” Atiku said. He promised to introduce a transparent, production-based subsidy tied to the local refining of fuel. According to him, Nigerians would benefit directly through lower energy costs, including cheaper petrol and diesel.
The proposal differs from the old system. Atiku did not say how much the subsidy would cost or how the government would pay for it. However, he stressed that it would be transparent and linked to production, which suggests support would reach local refiners and not importers. Economists and officials will likely demand more details as the campaign continues.
Tinubu removed the petrol subsidy when he took office in 2023, and his administration has defended that decision since. Supporters of the removal argue that the old system cost the government huge sums and lacked transparency. Critics, meanwhile, say its removal sent fuel and transport prices soaring and deepened the cost-of-living crisis. Atiku sits firmly in the second camp.
The statement also took aim at Tinubu’s leadership style. Atiku said Nigerians have tested the president’s leadership and reached a clear verdict. Then he turned to a Yoruba image. “Yours is a calabash of pepper,” he said, explaining that, as he understands the culture, a calabash of pepper represents hostile leadership while a calabash of honey stands for hospitable leadership.
Atiku added a welfare pledge. He said his administration would make deliberate investments in social welfare and end what he called the opaque system Tinubu’s government uses to divert money meant for vulnerable Nigerians. Moreover, he said his Affordable Life campaign offers an alternative to what he described as the hardship imposed on the people. The statement did not provide evidence for the diversion claim, and the presidency has not responded to it in the reports reviewed.
Atiku also addressed his place on the ballot. He accused Tinubu of wanting him off the ballot at all costs. “I will be on that ballot, and I will beat you decisively,” he said. In addition, he argued that after three and a half years in office, the president has no achievements to campaign on, and that his record is the strongest campaign against him.
Tinubu’s camp sees the record differently. The president has said he is cleaning up a mess that earlier governments created, and he named Atiku among those responsible. His allies also point to reforms they say will strengthen the economy over time. As a result, the two sides now fight over who owns the blame for hardship and who owns the solution.
For voters, the exchange offers a clear contrast on fuel prices. One candidate says subsidy is gone for good, while the other promises a new version of it. Sojworldnews will update this story if Tinubu or the APC responds to Atiku’s claims and pledge.
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