Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has promised to restore Nigeria’s petrol subsidy if elected president in the 2027 general election.
Atiku made the pledge while speaking about his plans for the Nigerian economy and the impact of the removal of petrol subsidy on citizens.
“If I win the presidential election, I will restore the subsidy,” Daily Trust reported him as saying on Hausa-speaking interview on the PAP show on Wednesday,
The former vice president also said anyone found to have stolen money meant for the subsidy would be required to return the funds.
Atiku’s latest position marks a significant shift in the political debate over petrol subsidy, which has remained one of the most contentious economic policies in Nigeria since President Bola Tinubu announced its removal on May 29, 2023.
Skyline News reports that Tinubu announced petrol subsidy removal on the day he assumed office on May 29, 2023.
His decision to end the subsidy immediately led to a sharp increase in petrol prices and contributed to higher transportation and living costs across the country.
The Federal Government has consistently defended the policy, arguing that subsidy payments placed a heavy burden on public finances and that the savings could be redirected to infrastructure and other areas of the economy.
The Tinubu administration has also maintained that the removal of the subsidy was necessary to correct distortions in the petroleum market and strengthen government finances.
In April 2026, the Budget Office of the Federation argued that subsidy removal should be understood as a correction of price distortions rather than an immediate source of cash for government spending.
Similarly, while providing an update on the subsidy savings on Wednesday, August 19, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, said the Federal Government saved N15 trillion from it, and the amount was shared by the three tiers of government, namely the federal, states, and local governments.
Atiku, however, has repeatedly criticised the manner in which the subsidy was removed.
In 2024, he said he would have adopted a gradual approach to subsidy reform if he had won the 2023 presidential election, arguing that the policy should have been implemented in phases rather than abruptly.
Atiku is expected to face President Tinubu and other opposition candidates in the 2027 presidential election.
