ATIKU Abubakar, former Vice President of Nigeria (1999-2007) and the 2023 Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has raised concerns over what he describes as the federal government’s covert continuation of the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
Atiku, in a press release through his media office, pointed to recent revelations in credible media outlets that suggested the subsidy, which President Bola Tinubu had publicly declared ended in a national broadcast, was still being paid through opaque means.
This, Atiku argued, starkly contrasted with the President’s firm assertions and undermined the credibility of his administration.
Atiku further criticized the ongoing fuel scarcity and rising energy costs, attributing these issues to the continued delay in the re-operation of the Port Harcourt refinery—a responsibility he placed directly on President Tinubu, who also served as the Minister of Petroleum Resources.
The former vice president expressed deep concerns over the silence from the president amidst the ongoing disputes between local investors advocating for refinery operations and those supporting imported PMS.
He also highlighted troubling reports of NNPC Limited allegedly diverting funds meant for other purposes to cover subsidy payments, which, if true, could have severe implications for Nigeria’s fiscal federalism.
Atiku called on the Tinubu administration to urgently address the confusion surrounding the subsidy policy and the refining of PMS, urging for transparency as the only way to provide relief to Nigerians suffering from fuel scarcity and rising prices.
This statement underscored Atiku Abubakar’s ongoing scrutiny of the current administration’s handling of critical national issues.
