Nigeria: Nigerians Too Poor Not to Be Subsidised, ADC Tells Tinubu

What the report says

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has pushed back against the Presidency’s criticism of its petroleum policy position and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal, saying Nigerians cannot bear the cost of unsubsidised fuel. In a statement reported by Daily Trust and issued by ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said the government’s estimate that reviving petrol subsidy could cost about N19.1 trillion a year was not convincing and appeared to rest on questionable assumptions.

The party argued that the key issue is affordability for households already facing economic strain. It said its proposal was not for a blanket or unaccountable subsidy, but for a capped, monitored support mechanism aimed at domestic production and local value addition. The ADC also questioned why some upstream oil incentives are treated as acceptable while support for refining and fuel costs is portrayed as fiscally reckless.

According to the report, the ADC urged the federal government to explain its figures and to offer a practical alternative if it rejected the party’s approach. The exchange reflects the continuing political debate over fuel pricing, subsidy policy and the wider cost-of-living pressures in Nigeria, where petrol prices remain a sensitive public issue after subsidy reforms and broader economic adjustments.