Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has clarified that his proposed petroleum intervention is not a return to “Nigeria’s discredited import-subsidy regime”, but a targeted measure to support domestic production and ease the cost of living.
The clarification was contained in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, following comments attributed to one of Atiku’s aides suggesting that an Atiku administration would “restore fuel subsidy and remove it later.”
Shaibu described the remarks as “an unauthorised, imprecise and materially misleading characterisation of Atiku’s policy position,” noting that spokespersons do not have the authority to alter or reinterpret a policy already set out by the candidate.
“For avoidance of the doubt, policy belongs to the candidate, not the spokesperson. Our responsibility as communicators is to explain Atiku’s position accurately, not create formulations capable of confusing Nigerians or handing opponents convenient talking points.
“Atiku has never proposed restoring the import-subsidy regime and subsequently removing it on some predetermined date. That is not his policy and should not be attributed to him.
“What Atiku proposes is a targeted, capped, transparently budgeted and independently audited subsidy that supports domestic refining and production, with measurable exit conditions built in from day one.
“There is no arbitrary withdrawal date. As domestic refining expands, supply stabilises, competition deepens, and the market becomes capable of delivering affordable prices without government support. The intervention progressively becomes unnecessary.
“You do not remove scaffolding because the calendar says so. You remove it when the building can stand securely on its own.”
Shaibu urged Nigerians to focus less on disagreements over terminology and more on the economic objective of the proposed intervention.
“The real question is simple: Why has everything become so expensive, and what will Atiku do to make life affordable again?
“Tinubu transferred the shock of his reforms to Nigerian families. Atiku will reduce production and transportation costs, strengthen domestic refining, and restore purchasing power.
“The choice is not removal of subsidy versus restoration of subsidy. It is Expensive Nigeria versus Affordable Nigeria.”
