The Chief Promoter of the Alternative Movement, Otunba Segun Showunmi, has criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal to restore petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027.

Showunmi spoke in Abeokuta, Ogun State, during a sensitisation and mobilisation programme organised in support of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.

Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has said he would introduce a petrol subsidy intervention if elected, arguing that Nigerians should benefit more directly from the country’s resources and that the removal of the subsidy had worsened living conditions.

Showunmi rejected the proposal, arguing that Nigeria had operated subsidy regimes for decades without achieving the desired economic outcomes.

“We have tried subsidies in this country. We started starting it from 1973. And between 1973 and date, we have seen the result. If it had worked, wouldn’t we have seen it?” he said.

He also defended the economic direction of the Tinubu administration, saying he had spent the past year supporting its policies.

According to Showunmi, government revenues had improved across the Federal, state and local government levels, while he argued that continuity was necessary for long-term economic policies to produce results.

“We cannot be changing leadership every four years. Democracy is very difficult, and the ability to be able to even run policy requires a bit of time,” he said.

Atiku’s camp has, however, clarified that his proposed intervention is not a return to the former import-subsidy system. His spokesman said the proposal involves targeted, capped and transparently budgeted support for domestic refining and production, with conditions for eventual withdrawal as the market becomes more self-sustaining.

Showunmi also disclosed that he had commenced grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 election, including work at polling-unit level, with plans to extend the exercise across the six local government areas of Ogun Central.

He further urged South-West voters to support Tinubu, arguing that the region should mobilise strongly for the President ahead of the election.

His comments form part of the continuing political debate over petrol pricing, subsidy policy and the direction of Nigeria’s economy ahead of the 2027 presidential election.