Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has stated that the latest SBM Intelligence survey reveals that Nigerians are demanding immediate relief from the hardship caused by fuel subsidy removal. According to the survey, 67.4 per cent of respondents want petrol subsidy restored, representing a significant public rejection of the policy. Atiku described this finding as a damning public verdict on the administration's decision to remove subsidy without a plan, condemning millions of Nigerians to unprecedented hardship.
Atiku emphasized that the 67.4 per cent figure is more than an economic statistic, representing the growing majority of Nigerians who have rejected Tinubu's economic philosophy. He stated that the survey has become a democratic question, with an overwhelming majority of Nigerians declaring that the government policy is destroying their lives. Atiku urged responsible leadership to listen to the public's concerns, stressing that the survey is not merely about economic policy but a collective cry of Nigerian families struggling to cope with the policy's effects.
The former Vice President noted that petrol has become the second-most cited national problem and the Tinubu administration's worst-rated policy issue, scoring a miserable 1.69 out of four. He described the survey as particularly revealing, with 32.4 per cent of rural respondents identifying petrol as their primary concern, compared with 11.7 per cent in urban areas. Petrol also emerged as the leading concern in the Southwest, at 30.5 per cent, and the South-South, at 29.1 per cent.
Atiku criticized President Tinubu for removing subsidy without a credible plan for domestic refining, mass transportation, wage protection, or support for small businesses dependent on affordable energy. He claimed that Tinubu ignored warnings that this approach would destroy purchasing power, increase transportation costs, worsen food inflation, and push more Nigerians into poverty. Atiku stated that the Nigerian people are now delivering their verdict on the policy.
According to Atiku, the survey confirms what Nigerians already know: Tinubu's fuel policy has caused far more harm than good. He argued that the policy has been rejected, and the government responsible for it must also be rejected. Atiku described the suffering caused by Tinubu's fuel policy as cutting across geography, ethnicity, and political affiliation.
Atiku said that for three and a half years, Nigerians have suffered under Tinubu's 'subsidy is gone' experiment, with transport costs exploding, food prices soaring, businesses collapsing, and purchasing power destroyed. He claimed that millions of families have been pushed deeper into poverty, and the survey simply confirms the reality on the ground.
Atiku concluded that the administration can no longer hide behind manipulated statistics, propaganda, and exaggerated claims. He emphasized that the survey's findings represent a clear evidence of the public's rejection of Tinubu's fuel policy and urged the government to take responsibility for its actions.
Key points
- Atiku Abubakar criticizes President Bola Tinubu's fuel subsidy removal policy, citing a recent SBM Intelligence survey that shows 67.4 per cent of respondents want petrol subsidy restored.
- The survey reveals that petrol has become the second-most cited national problem and the Tinubu administration's worst-rated policy issue.
- Atiku argues that the policy has caused far more harm than good and that the government responsible for it must be rejected.
