Atiku’s Subsidy Proposal Will Reverse Economic Gains – APC Chairman

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Nentawe Yilwatda, has warned that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal to restore petrol subsidy could reverse the economic gains recorded under the current reforms.

Yilwatda stated this in a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki.

He said reinstating the subsidy could return Nigerians to fuel queues, threaten payment of the current minimum wage and lead to the cancellation of education grants for students.

The APC chairman said the subsidy proposal raised fundamental questions about how the policy would be financed and sustained without returning the country to the fiscal pressures associated with the previous regime.

He said the subsidy might appear attractive because it promised cheaper petrol, but Nigerians should consider the wider implications for government revenue, salaries, pensions, education, healthcare and infrastructure.

Yilwatda recalled that President Bola Tinubu announced the removal of petrol subsidy on May 29, 2023, describing the decision as a difficult but necessary reform.

He said increased federal allocations following the removal had improved the financial position of states and enabled them to meet obligations such as workers’ salaries and pensions.

The APC chairman also warned that restoring the subsidy could affect education funding, recalling the prolonged disruption of academic activities under previous administrations.

He urged Nigerians to scrutinise the economic programmes of presidential candidates ahead of the 2027 election rather than support policies based solely on promises of immediate relief.

Yilwatda maintained that the subsidy debate should focus on the sustainability and long-term consequences of the proposed policy, rather than political rhetoric.