Atiku’s fuel subsidy and Tinubu’s church rat, By Bolaji Abdullahi

The article argues that Atiku Abubakar's proposal to subsidize fuel production, aimed at lowering pump prices and the cost of living, is a bold and popular idea. The author criticizes the ruling APC and President Bola Tinubu for dismissing it as populist pandering, asserting that without an alternative to improve citizens' lives, Abubakar's idea remains the most viable option.

This moment is described as exciting for Nigerian politics, as the campaign is centered on fuel subsidy, a pertinent issue for most citizens. The author credits Abubakar for initiating this debate, while lamenting the government's reaction, which has largely consisted of personal attacks on Abubakar or denials of the public's lived reality. The government's mismanagement of the subsidy policy, once a point of consensus among candidates, has now put them in opposition to Abubakar's popular idea.

The administration has had three years to justify fuel subsidy removal but has failed to convince the public. The core of the debate, the article stresses, is not just about the subsidy itself but about reducing the soaring cost of living. Fuel subsidy is presented as a strategy to provide relief to suffering citizens, a point the government cannot deny, even as they claim the pain of removal is necessary for future gains.

While agreeing that Nigeria's economy was in dire straits when Tinubu took office and that the old subsidy regime was mismanaged and fiscally ruinous, the author highlights the dilemma faced by successive governments. The fuel subsidy is likened to a toxic but necessary medication: withdrawing it causes severe pain, potentially leading to death, while continuing it also risks killing the patient.