‘You Copied My Idea Poorly, Like a Dull Student’ – Atiku Fires at Tinubu Over Petrol Discount

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of poorly copying his proposed petrol production subsidy plan, arguing that the Federal Government’s 30-day fuel discount offers only temporary relief from rising petrol prices.

Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said the administration had borrowed his idea but failed to adopt the broader measures he believes could sustainably reduce fuel costs and ease the burden on Nigerians.

Lambasting the President, Atiku likened him to a student who copied another person’s examination answer without understanding it.

“Bola, you have borrowed the idea but missed the lesson. You had a production subsidy and reduced it to a 30-day gesture,” he said.

He added: “You copied my production subsidy proposal. There is nothing wrong with that. You stripped away the part that makes it work and handed Nigerians a 30-day discount. Where is the rest of the answer, Bola?”

Atiku maintained that his production subsidy proposal was designed to support locally refined petroleum products and reduce costs for households, transport operators and businesses. He questioned what would happen when the temporary discount expires, warning that Nigerians could remain exposed to high transportation costs, rising food prices and increased business expenses.

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The dispute follows the Federal Government’s introduction of a temporary petrol discount through Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) retail outlets. The measure was announced to cushion consumers against rising fuel prices amid elevated international crude oil costs.

NNPC said the discount would run until October 31, 2026, although the initiative was not presented as a uniform pump-price reduction across the country.

The Tinubu administration has rejected claims that the measure represents a return to the former petrol subsidy regime, which ended in May 2023. Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, described the initiative as a temporary intervention rather than a restoration of the previous system of government-funded subsidies.

The Presidency has explained that the arrangement involves a retail discount, with a seller reducing or foregoing part of its margin for a specified period. This differs from the former subsidy system, under which public funds covered part of the cost of petrol.

The government has maintained that it remains committed to market-based petroleum pricing. It had also challenged Atiku to explain the legal, fiscal and practical framework for his proposed production subsidy, citing provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 and Nigeria’s petroleum-pricing regulations.

Atiku’s criticism has renewed debate over whether a targeted production subsidy could provide more lasting relief than a temporary retail discount, and how such a policy would be funded without recreating the fiscal pressures associated with the former subsidy regime.

The dispute comes as political alignments intensify ahead of the 2027 general election, with Atiku using the issue to challenge the administration’s economic policies while the government defends its approach to fuel pricing.