Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar’s 2027 presidential campaign, has defended the former vice-president’s proposal to reintroduce petrol subsidy, saying the plan is focused on making fuel cheaper for Nigerians rather than returning to the subsidy system of the past.
Okonkwo made the clarification while appearing on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, following criticism of Atiku’s position by President Bola Tinubu and other officials of the Federal Government.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, recently said he would restore petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027. The proposal has generated debate because the former vice-president had supported the removal of the subsidy during the 2023 presidential election campaign.
Atiku has also questioned the use of funds saved following the removal of the subsidy by the Tinubu administration.
Tinubu, while reacting to the proposal, criticised the idea and argued that the previous subsidy system placed a heavy financial burden on the country.
Okonkwo, however, said the president had misunderstood Atiku’s proposal. He explained that the plan was not intended to recreate the old subsidy arrangement, which relied heavily on imported petrol.
According to him, Atiku’s proposal, known as the Atiku Fuel Affordability Plan, is designed around domestic refining and government support for local refineries.
He explained that the plan would involve making crude oil available to Nigerian refineries at a reasonable price. This, he said, would reduce the cost of producing petrol locally and allow the benefit to reach consumers through lower pump prices.
Okonkwo said the proposal was based on the belief that Nigeria could reduce fuel costs by making better use of its domestic refining capacity instead of depending largely on imported petroleum products.
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He argued that the country’s previous subsidy arrangement became costly because Nigeria depended heavily on imported petrol to meet domestic demand.
According to him, the old system was also vulnerable to abuse because of the way fuel importation and subsidy payments were handled.
Okonkwo said the absence of sufficient functioning refineries forced Nigeria to depend on imports, creating a situation where government funds were used to support the cost of petrol supplied to the domestic market.
He maintained that Atiku’s proposal was different because it would focus on domestic production and access to locally sourced crude oil.
The campaign spokesman said the plan would seek to ensure that Nigerian refineries receive enough crude at a price that allows them to produce petrol at a lower cost.
He further argued that Nigeria would have had less need for petrol subsidy if successive governments had developed adequate refining capacity and ensured a steady supply of petroleum products within the country.
The debate over Atiku’s proposal comes amid continued concerns about petrol prices and the wider impact of fuel costs on households, businesses and transportation.
The removal of the petrol subsidy has led to major changes in the cost of transportation and other goods and services, making fuel affordability an important issue in the political debate ahead of the 2027 election.
Okonkwo insisted that Atiku was not proposing a return to the system that existed before the subsidy removal. Instead, he said the former vice-president’s plan was intended to use domestic refining and government intervention to bring down the price of petrol.
The disagreement between Atiku’s campaign and the Tinubu administration is expected to remain part of the economic debate as politicians begin to present their plans to Nigerians ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
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