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Atiku Calls Tinubu’s 30-Day Fuel Discount A ‘Publicity Stunt’
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has described President Bola Tinubu’s proposed 30-day petrol discount at NNPC stations as a “panic-driven publicity stunt”, saying the temporary measure will not ease the cost-of-living pressures Nigerians face.
In a statement issued on Thursday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku criticised the government for offering a temporary discount after years of high fuel prices.
He accused the administration of introducing the measure as elections approach, arguing that a month of discounted petrol would not address the wider effects of rising fuel costs on transport fares, food prices and household expenses.
“Atiku totally rejects this calendar-scheduled, election-laced subsidy package. Nigerians are not fools to be offered a month of discounted fuel after years of punishing prices and then expected to forget the hardship when the discount expires. This is shameless and heartless.”
Atiku questioned what would happen when the 30-day period ends, saying Nigerians would still face high petrol prices, transport fares and food costs. “What happens on Day 31? Nigerians wake up to the same brutal prices, the same punishing transport fares and the same rising cost of food. The government cannot manufacture relief for one month and expect Nigerians to applaud while the hardship remains.”
He also questioned the scope of the proposed discount, which is limited to NNPC stations. According to Atiku, the government has yet to disclose how much motorists would save per litre or explain how it would ensure transport operators pass any savings on to passengers through lower fares.
The former vice-president said the decision to introduce the temporary intervention showed that the government could take steps to ease the burden on consumers, despite previously dismissing his proposal for production-based support. “This volte-face proves that the production-support proposal I have advanced is workable, achievable and not complicated. The Tinubu government and its spin doctors have tried to make it sound impossible, yet they are now reaching for a temporary subsidy-style intervention because the pain has become impossible to ignore.”
He renewed his call for capped and budgeted production support tied to petrol refined in Nigeria. He said the proposal should include safeguards to ensure consumers benefit from lower production costs while supporting domestic refining.
Atiku said the government should focus on measures that provide lasting relief rather than temporary price reductions. “Nigerians need lasting relief, not a countdown to the return of hardship. Tinubu’s government cannot spend years telling Nigerians to endure, then offer 30 days of relief and call it a solution.”
He reiterated his commitment to reducing the cost of living, ending the statement with the slogan: “Tinubu made life expensive. I will make life affordable again.”
The statement was signed by Shaibu on October 8, 2026.
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