The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu’s newly announced 30-day discounted petrol policy, calling it a “desperate and panic-driven publicity stunt” that fails to address years of deep-seated economic distress.
Speaking through a statement issued on Thursday, October 8, 2026, Atiku asserted that Nigerians would not be easily swayed by temporary measures and would hold the current administration accountable at the polls in the 2027 general election.
The controversy follows an announcement made earlier on Thursday during a joint press briefing at the Ministry of Finance auditorium in Abuja. The Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, disclosed that the Federal Government had arranged a 30-day discounted petrol scheme nationwide at outlets operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, with priority given to public transport operators.
Oyedele maintained that the measure was not a return to fuel subsidies, but a temporary cost-stabilization initiative aiming to cap ex-gantry costs while negotiations continue on crude supply arrangements for local refiners.
Reacting to the policy, Atiku rejected the temporary relief, asking what would happen to ordinary citizens once the 30-day window expires.
”Bola, 30 days cannot erase three and a half years of economic hardship,” Atiku said. “Atiku totally rejects this calendar-scheduled, election-laced package. What happens on Day 31? Nigerians wake up to the same brutal prices, the same punishing transport fares, and the same rising cost of food. The government cannot manufacture relief for one month and expect citizens to applaud while systemic suffering remains.”
Atiku further accused the Tinubu administration of hypocritically adopting a policy framework similar to what he had previously advocated, noting that the government had once dismissed his proposals for targeted energy relief as unworkable.
He reiterated that a sustainable solution must focus on transparently supporting petroleum products refined domestically in Nigeria, capped, budgeted, and independently audited, rather than reliance on temporary price slashes.
Echoing Atiku’s stance, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, speaking at a media briefing on Friday morning, October 9, 2026, at the party’s National Headquarters in Abuja, urged citizens to remain vigilant.
The party spokesman declared that the opposition is actively mobilising across all 36 states to offer a viable alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general election.
As public debate intensifies over the efficacy of the 30-day petrol discount, opposition parties and civil society groups continue to demand long-term structural reforms over short-term interventions.
