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Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, said the PDP government while he was the Vice President initiated subsidy removal in two phases after providing palliatives for the affected sector of the economy.
Atiku stated this while speaking at the PDP Retreat for elected officials held in Bauchi state on Saturday.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu declared in his inauguration speech that “petrol subsidy is gone.”
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Following the President’s announcement, however, filling stations across the country increased pump prices from N185 to over N500.
The decision was first taken by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2022.
The policy received the backing of Tinubu, Atiku, and several other 2023 presidential candidates, who sought to end the subsidy regime if elected.
But, Atiku has criticised President Tinubu’s approach on fuel subsidy removal, which many have described as a knee-jerk policy action.
Atiku said, “Between 1999 and 2007, the PDP government initiated the petroleum subsidy removal and I chaired the committee. We achieved subsidy removal in two phases but only after providing palliatives to those most affected by the subsidy removal,” the former Vice President said.
“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. I think Nigerians should appreciate what they have temporarily lost
