Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has voiced his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s approach to the removal of fuel subsidy.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that at a PDP meeting in Bauchi on Saturday, Atiku expressed his concerns over the decision, which has faced widespread backlash across the country due to the subsequent sharp rise in fuel prices.
Referring to his experience as the chairman of a committee tasked with subsidy removal between 1999 and 2007, Atiku emphasised the importance of providing palliatives to those most affected by the removal.
He argued that the PDP government, under his leadership, successfully implemented subsidy removal in two phases but only after extensive discussions and the implementation of measures to alleviate the impact on the populace.
“We have the experience as a party in government. That is what we would have done and not just announced subsidy removal without discussion with the affected sectors of the economy,” Atiku stated.
“I think Nigerians should appreciate what they have temporarily lost.”
Recall that Tinubu had declared the removal of fuel subsidy in his recent inaugural speech, a move that caught many by surprise and led to widespread outcry.
