Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has responded to a survey showing that 67.4 per cent of Nigerians oppose President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s fuel-subsidy policy, describing the result as a severe public rebuke of the administration’s decision to end the subsidy.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the findings of the SBM Intelligence poll showed that Nigerians had rejected Tinubu’s approach to fuel pricing and were seeking urgent assistance as the cost of living continued to rise.
He argued that the 67.4 per cent share was more than a measure of economic sentiment. In his view, it reflected an expanding majority that believes the government’s policy has worsened living conditions. Atiku said the result had turned the subsidy debate into a question of democratic accountability: when most citizens believe a policy is damaging their lives, he said, those in power have a duty to respond.
Atiku said Nigerians had endured three and a half difficult years under what he called Tinubu’s reckless “subsidy is gone” experiment. During that period, he said, transport expenses had surged, food had become substantially more expensive, companies had shut down, household purchasing power had weakened and millions of people had fallen further into poverty.
He maintained that the poll confirmed what citizens were already experiencing: the removal of the fuel subsidy had produced significantly more damage than benefits. Atiku said Nigerians had rejected the policy and that the administration responsible for it should face the same rejection.
Atiku has previously advocated restoring the fuel subsidy. Tinubu, who is seeking another term in the 2027 election, has repeatedly argued that bringing back petrol subsidies would ultimately create even greater hardship for Nigerians.
