Fuel Subsidy: Atiku's Third U-Turn in One Week Exposes Political Posturing, Presidency Says - Newstrends
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Fuel Subsidy: Atiku’s Third U-Turn in One Week Exposes Political Posturing, Presidency Says

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Fuel Subsidy: Atiku's Third U-Turn in One Week Exposes Political Posturing, Presidency Says
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

Fuel Subsidy: Atiku’s Third U-Turn in One Week Exposes Political Posturing, Presidency Says

The Presidency has again taken a swipe at former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, over what it describes as his third policy U-turn on petrol subsidy within one week, accusing him of political posturing and lacking understanding of petroleum economics. In a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency questioned whether Atiku was seriously proposing an economic policy or simply playing politics with the temporary discomfort Nigerians face.

The Presidency detailed what it described as three conflicting positions emerging from the Atiku camp within days. The first position came from Atiku’s spokesperson, Paul Ibe, who stated that the former vice president would restore petrol subsidy if elected and later phase it out, describing it as a temporary intervention to give Nigerians and businesses room to recover. The second position emerged when another senior aide, Phrank Shaibu, dismissed Ibe’s statement as an “unauthorised and misleading characterisation” of Atiku’s position. According to Shaibu, Atiku would not set a predetermined date for ending the subsidy, which would remain until domestic refining expanded, supply stabilised, competition deepened, and the market could deliver affordable prices without government support. The third position came when Atiku himself intervened hours later, insisting his position “has not changed” and that he would restore what he called a “targeted subsidy” if elected. He stated, “I will restore targeted subsidy and put purchasing power back in the hands of Nigerians.”

The Presidency argued the differing explanations amounted to more than semantics, describing it as “a serious policy contradiction.” Onanuga asked that if Atiku’s position has not changed, why did one of his principal aides say the subsidy would be temporary and phased out, why did another senior aide have to publicly disown that explanation and introduce a completely different framework based on market conditions, and why did Atiku then step in to reaffirm the original position? He added that Nigerians deserve clarity, not policy by trial and error.

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The Presidency challenged Atiku to explain precisely what he means by “targeted subsidy,” including how much it will cost, who will benefit, how beneficiaries will be identified, how it will be funded, and what objective economic conditions will determine its eventual termination. The statement said that Nigerians cannot afford another opaque and potentially costly subsidy regime dressed up in new language.

Atiku has sought to draw a distinction between his proposal and the previous import-subsidy regime. According to his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president is proposing “a targeted, capped, transparently budgeted and independently audited intervention” to support domestic refining and production, with measurable performance-based exit conditions. Shaibu explained that you do not remove scaffolding because the calendar says so; you remove it when the building can stand securely on its own. Atiku himself stated on his X platform that he would not restore the import racket but would restore relief.

The Presidency also faulted Atiku’s argument that competition and subsidy would automatically reduce petrol prices, noting that several factors influence pump prices, including international crude oil prices, exchange rates, refining costs, transportation, and distribution. The statement said that competition can improve efficiency and margins, but it cannot magically insulate Nigeria from global crude oil prices or other input costs.

The Presidency also rejected what it described as an oversimplification of the relationship between petrol prices and food inflation. While acknowledging that energy and transportation costs affect food prices, it argued that petrol prices alone have never caused food inflation. Onanuga said that agricultural productivity, insecurity, exchange rates, logistics, storage, flooding, input costs, money supply and supply constraints also matter. He added that a serious economic programme must address these factors, as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been doing for the past three years, rather than reduce the entire cost-of-living crisis to petrol prices.

The Presidency further questioned Atiku’s suggestion that subsidy would “follow the barrel of crude,” pointing out that petrol accounts for only about 45 per cent of products from a refined barrel. According to the statement, diesel, which was deregulated in 2004 under the Obasanjo-Atiku administration, accounts for roughly 25 per cent of a barrel, while aviation fuel and kerosene make up about nine per cent. Onanuga asked whether Atiku would also subsidise these other products, since kerosene is used by the underprivileged to cook, and many homes and factories use diesel to power generators.

The subsidy debate has returned to the centre of the 2027 presidential contest, with Atiku seeking to position himself as the candidate who will make life more affordable for Nigerians. According to Shaibu, the choice is not removal of subsidy versus restoration of subsidy; it is Expensive Nigeria versus Affordable Nigeria. The Presidency, however, warned against what it called “policy somersaults, incoherence, destructive populism and election gimmicks,” saying the economy is too serious for such approaches.

Fuel Subsidy: Atiku’s Third U-Turn in One Week Exposes Political Posturing, Presidency Says

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Probe Me Over $16bn Power Spending If You Have Evidence – Atiku Dares FG

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August 26, 2026

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Probe Me Over $16bn Power Spending If You Have Evidence – Atiku Dares FG

Probe Me Over $16bn Power Spending If You Have Evidence – Atiku Dares FG

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has thrown down the gauntlet to President Bola Tinubu’s administration, demanding that it substantiate allegations linking him to alleged wrongdoing in the controversial $16 billion power sector expenditure or cease what he describes as a campaign of political distraction. In a statement released on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku insisted that he should be investigated and prosecuted if the government possesses credible evidence against him, stressing that political accusations cannot replace proof. The former Vice President accused the Tinubu administration and its supporters of reviving decades-old allegations to divert public attention from pressing questions surrounding the management of government revenues following the removal of petrol subsidy.

Atiku noted that the National Assembly had previously investigated the power projects, but he was never invited to respond to any allegations of misconduct. “The National Assembly investigated the power projects. I was never invited to answer any allegation of wrongdoing,” he stated. He acknowledged that he chaired the National Council on Privatisation while serving as Vice President but clarified that he did not oversee the implementation of the power project. “Yes, I chaired the National Council on Privatisation as Vice President. But on the power project, I disagreed with its concept and did not preside over its implementation. The responsible minister did. The same applies to the Aluminium Smelter matter,” Atiku explained.

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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 election declared that he had repeatedly made himself available for investigation since leaving office in 2007. “I have repeatedly asked to be investigated. I left office in 2007 and have spent much of the period since then opposing governments in power. If there is evidence that I stole public money, why has no government produced it before a court?” he queried. Atiku challenged the authorities to reopen the matter if they believed there was a genuine case against him. “It is still not too late. Investigate me. Invite me. Produce the evidence. Prosecute me if you have a case. But propaganda cannot substitute for evidence,” he said.

The former Vice President linked the renewed allegations to his persistent criticism of the Federal Government’s handling of the economic consequences of petrol subsidy removal. He argued that Nigerians had been promised that eliminating the subsidy would free funds for development, but citizens had instead faced higher costs of transportation, food, and other essentials. “Today, petrol is more expensive, transportation is more expensive, food is more expensive and the purchasing power of the Nigerian worker has been devastated,” he said. Atiku further questioned how additional government revenues were being deployed, alleging that tax incentives, waivers, credits, and concessions continued to benefit powerful economic interests. “So our question remains brutally simple: where is the people’s money?” he asked. He accused the government of hypocrisy for withdrawing economic relief from ordinary Nigerians while maintaining interventions that benefited major corporate interests. “You cannot take relief away from the poor, celebrate the resulting revenue and then tell the same impoverished citizens that government intervention on their behalf is economically irresponsible while interventions benefiting powerful interests are called incentives. That hypocrisy is precisely what we are challenging,” Atiku stated.

Atiku dismissed what he described as sponsored social media attacks, insisting they would not prevent him from demanding transparency over public finances. “The people who removed subsidy from the poor cannot frighten us into silence by resurrecting allegations that governments with all the investigative machinery of the Nigerian state have had nearly two decades to establish,” he declared. He challenged the government to either substantiate the allegations or address questions over the use of funds generated after subsidy removal. “If you have evidence against Atiku, bring it. If you have a case, prosecute it. But if you have neither, stop manufacturing distractions and answer Nigerians: You removed the subsidy. You collected the savings. Where is the money?” he demanded.

Probe Me Over $16bn Power Spending If You Have Evidence – Atiku Dares FG

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Ogun 2027: Radio Interview that Triggered APC Move for Hunye’s Arrest, Prosecution 

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August 26, 2026

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Ogun 2027: Radio Interview that Triggered APC Move for Hunye’s Arrest, Prosecution 

What Happened in Osun Will Be a Child’s Play in Ogun — Hunye

 

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State has distanced itself from Abayomi Hunye and called for his arrest and prosecution for allegedly impersonating a governorship candidate of the party, following comments he made during a radio interview in which he vowed to challenge the emergence of Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, as the party’s 2027 governorship candidate.

Hunye, who described himself as an APC governorship aspirant, made the comments on Tuesday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State.

During the programme, Hunye warned that the political crisis surrounding the APC’s 2027 governorship ticket could become far more intense than the recent political upheaval witnessed in Osun State.

“They saw what happened in Osun. What happened in Osun is going to be a child’s play to what is going to happen in Ogun State in 2027,” he said.

The comments appeared to have heightened the controversy surrounding the APC governorship ticket and prompted the party to disown Hunye, insisting that he had no authority to present himself as its governorship candidate.

The party maintains that Adeola is its duly nominated candidate for the 2027 Ogun governorship election.

Hunye, however, said he remained committed to his legal challenge against the outcome of the party’s governorship primary, arguing that the dispute was fundamentally about the integrity of the process and the right of party members to participate in a free and fair contest.

According to him, political grievances cannot simply be suppressed by imposing a preferred candidate on party members.

“What happened in Osun was the same thing. You cannot deprive people of their rights and want them to now keep quiet. They will not keep quiet,” he said.

Hunye also accused Governor Dapo Abiodun and the APC leadership of imposing Adeola on other aspirants, challenging the party to subject the senator to a transparent primary if he was genuinely popular among party members.

“He imposed him on us. And you want to force us to obey it. If you agree that he is popular, let the primaries be free and fair. And if he wins the primary, everybody will agree,” Hunye said.

He maintained that his court action was not driven solely by personal ambition, but by what he described as the need to ensure that the APC’s candidate emerged through a credible and acceptable process.

Hunye further claimed that opposition to Adeola’s emergence extended beyond his camp, alleging that some members of Governor Abiodun’s cabinet were also unhappy with the development.

“Quite a number of people in Dapo Abiodun’s cabinet are with us. They are not happy. People are not happy,” he claimed.

The radio interview has since become central to the latest development in the dispute, with the APC using Hunye’s public statements and his self-description as an aspirant to reinforce its position that he has no mandate to speak or act as the party’s governorship candidate.

The controversy comes as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 Ogun governorship election, with the APC leadership seeking to consolidate support around Adeola while the internal dispute over the primary process continues to generate tension.

Hunye’s warning that the situation in Ogun could surpass the political crisis witnessed in Osun has also added a new dimension to the dispute, raising concerns about the possibility of further confrontation within the ruling party if the grievances of aggrieved aspirants and their supporters remain unresolved.

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APC Petitions Police, DSS Over Ogun 2027 Governorship Claim, Seeks Hunye’s Arrest

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August 26, 2026

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APC Petitions Police, DSS Over Ogun 2027 Governorship Claim, Seeks Hunye’s Arrest

I’m ready to honour police invitation – Hunye

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), demanding the arrest, investigation and prosecution of Mr. Abayomi Hunye over his alleged impersonation as the party’s governorship candidate in Ogun State for the 2027 general elections.

The ruling party also urged the security agencies to stop Hunye from further parading himself as its candidate, warning that his continued claim could mislead the public, undermine electoral integrity and potentially threaten public peace in the state.

The development followed Hunye’s recent declaration at an event in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, where he reportedly presented himself as the APC governorship candidate for the 2027 election and unveiled Chief Abayomi Odunowo as his purported running mate.

The APC had on Monday publicly disowned Hunye, describing his claim as mischievous and insisting that he was not its governorship candidate.

In separate petitions dated August 24 and signed by the party’s Director of Administration, Ayoola Olajolo, the APC asked the police and DSS to urgently intervene in the matter.

In the petition to the Inspector-General of Police, the party described Hunye’s action as a “grave threat to public peace and electoral integrity,” alleging that he had been using both traditional and social media platforms to parade himself as the party’s candidate.

The APC stated: “The Subject has notoriously and unlawfully taken to the public domain, including print and social media, parading himself as the governorship candidate of our party for the forthcoming January 2027 election.

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“I wish to state unequivocally that this claim is false, fraudulent, and a deliberate act of impersonation designed to mislead the public and destabilise the peace of Ogun State.”

The party further alleged that Hunye had been suspended from the APC on April 7, 2026, following a petition from his Tube Ward in Ipokia Local Government Area.

According to the APC, the suspension was subsequently ratified by the Ogun State Working Committee and communicated to the party’s national headquarters.

The party also maintained that it had conducted its governorship primary election in the state and that Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola and Mrs Balogun Abiodun remained its recognised governorship candidate and running mate respectively.

Consequently, the APC asked the police to invite Hunye for questioning and investigate what it described as possible offences arising from his conduct.

The party specifically requested that the security agency investigate and prosecute him, where appropriate, for alleged impersonation, conduct likely to cause a breach of peace and alleged violation of the Electoral Act, 2026.

It also urged the police to restrain Hunye from further presenting himself as the APC candidate in order to prevent what it described as a possible breakdown of law and order in Ogun State.

The party pledged to cooperate fully with the investigation and provide additional statements or evidence that may be required.

Meanwhile, reports that Hunye had gone into hiding after security operatives allegedly visited his residence to deliver an invitation for questioning have been denied by the politician.

Hunye, while reacting to the development, dismissed the claim that he was on the run, insisting that he remained available and was prepared to honour invitations from the security agencies.

He questioned the basis for reports that he had evaded the operatives by jumping over his fence.

“Somebody was saying they came to my house and I jumped the fence. Why won’t I honour it? How can I be on the run?” Hunye asked.

He added that he would honour any invitation issued by the security agencies, noting that an invitation scheduled for September could not reasonably be interpreted as an indication that he was fleeing.

“If somebody invited me for September, I’ll be running now? The question is, have they visited my house?” he said.

Hunye further insisted, “I heard that they’re saying they came to my house and I jumped the fence. How can I be on the run? If I’m invited for September, I’ll definitely honour it.”

The dispute has added a fresh layer to the unfolding political contest ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Ogun State, with the APC now seeking the intervention of security agencies to settle what it considers a case of impersonation and potential threat to electoral order.

 

APC Petitions Police, DSS Over Ogun 2027 Governorship Claim, Seeks Hunye’s Arrest

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