Senator Adams Oshiomhole questioned former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s plan to restore fuel subsidy if elected in 2027. He spoke during a TVC interview on Tuesday and pointed to earlier statements by the former vice president.
Oshiomhole said Atiku had previously explained why the subsidy should end. He recalled their discussions when he led the Nigeria Labour Congress and Atiku served as vice president.
“Atiku Abubakar himself, in his quiet moment, will laugh at himself. Don’t forget, I was the president of the NLC, and as vice president, Atiku lectured me about the waste of petroleum subsidy and why it is necessary to remove it, except that I disagree with them,” Oshiomhole stated.
Furthermore, Oshiomhole raised Atiku’s 2023 campaign remarks on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. He noted that Atiku had pledged to privatise the firm.
“Remember, Atiku is on record, just in 2023, as saying that he will privatise NNPC. You don’t have that tape? He even added that even if they kill him. I don’t know why he needs to die because he wants to privatise NNPC,” the senator said.
Oshiomhole then asked how a privatised company could face government price controls. “So can you privatise something in private hands, and yet dictate to the new owner how to sell the product that he produces?” he asked.
Meanwhile, Atiku had announced plans to restore a form of fuel subsidy as part of his 2027 agenda. He argued the step would ease living costs and boost purchasing power. His team later described the idea as a targeted production subsidy focused on domestic refining rather than the old import system.
Oshiomhole’s comments followed Atiku’s repeated pledges on the issue. The senator used the earlier interactions to highlight what he saw as a shift in the former vice president’s view.
