The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu of wrongly adopting his production subsidy proposal in the 30-day petrol discount initiative announced by the Federal Government.
Atiku, who spoke on Friday at the inauguration of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, demanded an apology from the president, describing the petrol discount as an inadequate response to the economic hardship facing Nigerians.
“You copied my production subsidy proposal, stripped away the part that makes it work, and handed Nigerians a 30-day discount,” he said.
The former vice-president recalled that in his State of the Nation address on September 18, 2026, he had offered to share his economic relief plan with Tinubu.
He, however, accused the president of failing to take up the offer in the national interest, opting instead for what he described as a short-term intervention with limited impact.
“But I am glad you have finally acknowledged the failure of your approach,” Atiku said, adding that his proposal was motivated by concern for Nigerians’ welfare rather than a desire to receive credit.
He described the petrol discount as deceptive, arguing that it could not compensate for the rising cost of living under the Tinubu administration.
“Now you offer a ₦50 petrol discount for 30 days and expect applause for returning a fraction of what Nigerians have lost?
“How can you make daily life unbearable for years and expect one month of token relief to wipe the record clean?” he asked.
Atiku also called for electoral reforms ahead of the 2027 general election, including measures to strengthen transparency in the collation and verification of election results.
He advocated granting political parties and election observers the right to verify results and called for live broadcasts of proceedings at state and national collation centres.
The ADC candidate further demanded independent audits of election technology before and after elections, as well as the establishment of an independent commission to investigate and prosecute electoral offences.
He also called for stronger penalties for vote suppression, result tampering and electoral fraud.
“These are not threats to democracy; they are safeguards for the people’s mandate,” he said.
Chairman of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, urged Nigerians to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and participate actively in the 2027 elections.
“Collect your voter’s card. Go out early. Stay until the result is counted and posted.
“Guard your vote with your eyes, not with your fists, because a peaceful people in their millions cannot be rigged out of their own country,” he said.
Ibrahim-Imam also praised Atiku’s economic credentials, citing his experience as a former chairman of the National Economic Council.
He claimed that Atiku had helped grow Nigeria’s economy from $58 billion to $270 billion, while expressing confidence that the ADC would offer Nigerians an alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
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