Former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has voiced his concerns over reports suggesting that President Bola Tinubu may have secretly reinstated fuel subsidies. These reports allege that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has been directed to use the federation’s dividends to cover the costs of petrol subsidies, with plans to halt dividend payments for eight months, from May to December.
Atiku took to his verified X account on Monday, calling the move “covert” and warning of the serious implications it could have on Nigeria’s federalism. He expressed disappointment, citing that this development contradicts Tinubu’s earlier public statements claiming the end of the fuel subsidy regime.
“The secrecy surrounding this reintroduction of subsidies undermines the credibility of the president’s leadership and poses a threat to our federal structure,” Atiku said.
The controversy comes at a time when Nigerians are facing widespread fuel shortages and rising energy costs. Atiku pointed out that the delays in reopening the Port Harcourt refinery have contributed to these ongoing problems and criticized the NNPC for their lack of transparency.
Meanwhile, the President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association (PETROAN), Billy Gillis-Harry, noted that the fuel scarcity is linked to logistics challenges, specifically issues with ship-to-ship transfers, and emphasized that oil marketers are struggling to meet demand due to limited supply.
Fuel shortages have particularly affected the northern regions of the country, with prices surging as high as ₦1,000 per litre in some areas. Although the NNPC has denied reports of significant debt to international oil traders, they acknowledged that owing money is not unusual in the oil trading business, as transactions are often conducted on credit.
With the fuel crisis continuing to disrupt daily life, Atiku’s criticism raises serious questions about the government’s handling of the situation and its commitment to ending the subsidy regime, a promise that was made earlier by President Tinubu.
