Comrade Timi Frank, a former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has called on President Bola Tinubu to publicly apologise to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and to Nigerians, saying the Federal Government's newly announced petrol discount is a quiet adoption of a position it once ridiculed.
Frank made the call in a statement released in Abuja on Friday, October 9, and sent to Legit.ng, while reacting to the Federal Government's announcement of a 30-day petrol discount at Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) retail outlets, with priority access for public transport operators.
Government's 30-day petrol discount announced
The Federal Government announced the discount on Thursday. Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, described the arrangement as selling petrol at cost price for an initial 30-day period, insisting it was not a return to subsidy.
Frank, who also serves as the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, rejected that distinction. "Simply put, Tinubu, who maintained a hardline stance on fuel subsidy removal, has gone back to his vomit," he said.
Atiku's subsidy proposal revisited
The controversy connects to a broader political debate. In August, Atiku publicly reaffirmed his position on fuel subsidy, saying: "On the question of subsidy, my position has not changed and will not change: I will restore it!" The Presidency had responded by challenging the fiscal and legal basis of the proposal.
Frank said the government's latest move had vindicated Atiku. "But now, having seen the light in Atiku's proposal, Tinubu simply came down off his high horse and adopted the idea without any acknowledgement," he declared.
Questions over scope and lasting impact
Beyond the political dimension, Frank raised concerns about whether the short-term intervention could meaningfully address the cost pressures that have built since petrol subsidy was removed in May 2023. He said high fuel prices had driven up transport and logistics costs, squeezing traders, farmers, manufacturers and low-income households.
"For millions of Nigerians, the consequences of higher fuel prices have extended beyond the cost of filling a vehicle's tank," Frank said, adding that the government must clarify how many NNPCL outlets will participate, what volumes will be sold at discounted rates and what happens after the 30 days expire.
He also warned the President not to expect the discount to ease public discontent over the subsidy removal. "Nigerians are no fools. They know how their present economic predicament started with 'fuel subsidy is gone' in 2023. They will definitely use their votes to reclaim their country and set it on the path of economic progress come 2027," he said.
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Federal Government announced a petrol price discount at NNPC filling stations, with priority given to public transporters. Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele made the disclosure at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday. The Federal Government also said it will negotiate a landing cost for petrol that will be reviewed every month.
