The 2027 African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has described an SBM Intelligence survey, in which 67.4 per cent of Nigerians said they want petrol subsidy restored, as public proof that President Bola Tinubu's fuel policy has failed. Atiku said he would bring back the petrol subsidy if he wins the 2027 election.
Survey Results Show Widespread Discontent
According to Atiku, the survey placed petrol as the second-most cited national problem and Tinubu's worst-rated policy issue, with a score of 1.69 out of four. He noted that 32.4 per cent of rural respondents named petrol as their primary concern, compared with 11.7 per cent in urban areas. The South-West recorded the highest regional concern at 30.5 per cent, followed by the South-South at 29.1 per cent.
Atiku said those numbers show that the hardship caused by the fuel policy crosses regional and ethnic lines. He accused the administration of removing subsidy "with a slogan, not a strategy," without putting in place any plan for domestic refining, mass transit, wage protection, or small business support.
Atiku's Response and Proposed Alternative
Atiku's Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, made this known in a statement issued and made available to Legit.ng on Tuesday, September 22, 2026. "This survey is no longer merely about economic policy. It has become a democratic question. When an overwhelming majority of Nigerians declare that a government policy is destroying their lives, responsible leadership must listen," Atiku said.
The former vice president used the statement to restate his 2027 campaign position. He said he would not revive what he called the corrupt subsidy system of the past, but would instead create a production subsidy tied only to petroleum products refined inside Nigeria.
"If elected, from May 29, 2027, I will introduce a transparent production subsidy for petroleum products refined in Nigeria and sold to Nigerians. Imports will not qualify. The programme will have a fixed spending limit, National Assembly approval and independent audits," Atiku said.
Call for Immediate Relief and Broader Concerns
He called on Tinubu to provide immediate relief in his remaining months in office and stop, in his words, "pretending that the suffering of Nigerians was an unavoidable price of reform." "Tinubu made life expensive. Atiku will make life affordable again," the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that Atiku addressed Nigerians on fuel prices, palliatives, and the cost of living, directly challenging President Tinubu's economic approach. Atiku urged Tinubu to act on petrol price relief in his remaining eight months, even offering to share his own policy framework with the administration. The opposition leader also warned against repeating the petrol subsidy removal experience with the planned electricity subsidy phase-out from 2027.
