Presidency Criticizes Atiku Abubakar Over Proposal to Restore Petrol Subsidy
2 sources · Nigeria
Who reported this
- Premium Times
- TheCable
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
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Every source for this story reports from Nigeria.
Every outlet covering this story shares the same political lean; read with that in mind.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has stated that he will restore the petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027. During an interview on Wednesday, Atiku questioned the accounting of funds saved from the subsidy removal, suggesting that the money intended for poverty reduction and education may have been stolen. He argued that the removal would have been justified if savings were channeled into development projects, security, and youth opportunities. Atiku added that he would require those who stole the money to refund it.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga criticized the proposal, accusing Atiku of being desperate for power and opportunistically reversing his previous stance on subsidy removal. Onanuga described the subsidy regime as wasteful and corruption ridden, noting that the Petroleum Industry Act made the subsidy illegal as of June 2023. He further disputed Atiku's claims regarding a subsidy windfall, stating that no such funds exist in the treasury.
While both reports are from center leaning outlets, they emphasize different aspects of the event. One focuses on Atiku's justification for the policy and the broader economic context of the subsidy removal, while the other focuses on the presidency's condemnation of Atiku's shift in economic doctrine.
How each side framed it
- Centre
- The center leaning outlets provided a balance between Atiku's policy proposal and the presidency's critical response.
Sources
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.