Nigeria’s Atiku Urges President Tinubu to Cut Fuel Prices

Atiku Abubakar has called on President Bola Tinubu to cut petrol and diesel prices, arguing that Nigerians are paying too much at the pump. The appeal puts fuel costs back at the centre of Nigeria’s political and economic debate.

Atiku Abubakar, now the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, has urged President Bola Tinubu to lower petrol and diesel prices and use the remaining eight months of his term to ease hardship. The appeal, made on 18–19 September 2026, sharpens a dispute over who bears the cost of Nigeria’s fuel-market reform.

Atiku’s appeal targets petrol diesel prices

Atiku said any relief plan could be adopted by Tinubu and the president could take the credit. He framed his own 2027 proposal as a capped, audited production subsidy for fuel refined in Nigeria, not imported fuel.

The former vice president argued that Nigerians were paying about ₦1,400 (about US$1.05) per litre while some oil-producing countries paid far less. He pointed to transport, food and business costs as areas where ordinary people were feeling the strain.

Atiku also warned against removing the electricity subsidy, according to The Guardian Nigeria. His message was that Nigerians needed breathing room, not another round of price increases.

The subsidy removal that changed everything

Tinubu removed the petrol subsidy on 29 May 2023, a decision his camp has defended as a fiscal correction. One report cited claimed savings of about US$7.5 billion a year from the move.

Atiku has consistently argued that the removal pushed up living costs across Nigeria. The debate is not just about fuel but about the pace and fairness of economic reform in Africa’s most populous country.

The political stakes are high because fuel prices touch every household and business. For investors, the argument signals uncertainty over whether Nigeria will stay the course on subsidy removal or shift policy under pressure.

A production subsidy model for local refining

Atiku’s proposal is designed to look anti-corruption and pro-consumer at once. By capping and auditing support for locally refined fuel, he aims to avoid the leakages that plagued the old import subsidy.

The model would exclude imported fuel, a key difference from the system Tinubu scrapped. That distinction matters because Nigeria has been expanding domestic refining capacity, changing the structure of its fuel market.

Atiku has walked back earlier comments on subsidies, with aides disowning one statement in August 2026. The shifting messaging shows how sensitive the subsidy question remains ahead of the 2027 election.

Who gains and who loses

Consumers would gain if petrol and diesel prices fell, easing pressure on household budgets. Transport operators and small businesses would also benefit from lower fuel costs.

The federal government would lose revenue or savings if it reintroduced any form of subsidy. Tinubu’s team has treated the removal as a hard-won fiscal victory that should not be reversed.

Global traders and Gulf fuel suppliers are watching closely because Nigeria is a major import market. A shift toward local refining support could reduce demand for imported fuel over time.

The great-power and investment angle

Nigeria’s fuel-market fight matters beyond its borders because it affects inflation, foreign-exchange pressure and investment conditions in Africa’s biggest economy. The outcome will shape leverage for fuel suppliers, global traders and investors in local refining.

The immediate political battle is therefore also about state capacity, fiscal control and energy sovereignty. How Nigeria resolves it will signal whether reform-minded policy can survive electoral pressure.

This dynamic fits the broader scramble for influence and resources covered in Africa: The New Scramble. Energy pricing is one front in a wider contest over who controls African markets and supply chains.

What to watch next

Atiku has told Tinubu to use his last eight months in office to bring relief to Nigerians. The president has not publicly accepted the proposal, and his camp has defended the subsidy removal as necessary.

The 2027 campaign will likely turn on whether voters blame Tinubu for high fuel costs or credit him for fiscal discipline. Atiku is betting that a targeted, locally focused support scheme can win over both consumers and investors.

Watch for any signal from the presidency on fuel pricing in the coming weeks. Any move to adjust petrol or diesel prices would be a major political and market event.

More: Nigeria news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

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