Atiku Attacks Tinubu Over 30-Day Petrol Discount, Asks ‘What Happens on Day 31?’

Atiku Attacks Tinubu Over 30-Day Petrol Discount, Asks ‘What Happens on Day 31?’

…Calls President “Dull Student”, Demands Resignation Over Economic Hardship

By Raphael Ekpang

Abuja(Core Reporters) — Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the Federal Government’s 30-day petrol discount initiative, describing it as an inadequate response to the rising cost of living and challenging the administration to explain what would happen when the intervention expires.

Atiku, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, launched the criticism on Friday during the inauguration of his Presidential Campaign Council at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, where he accused Tinubu of adopting elements of his proposed production-subsidy model without the safeguards he considers necessary for sustainable relief.

The former Vice-President questioned the duration and scope of the initiative, arguing that a temporary discount could not reverse the effects of years of rising living costs.

“What happens on day 31?” Atiku asked, making the expiration of the government’s intervention the central point of his criticism.

He also urged Tinubu to resign over what he described as the administration’s failure to make life affordable for Nigerians.

“After this latest admission of failure, the honourable thing to do is step down. Nigerians deserve a government that will do the work and make life affordable again,” he said.

The remarks intensified the political dispute over petrol prices and the cost of living ahead of the 2027 general election, with Atiku using the government’s latest relief measure to challenge Tinubu’s economic policies.

Atiku Mocks Tinubu Over Economic Policy

In some of the sharpest passages of his address, Atiku moved beyond policy criticism to ridicule the President over what he described as a failure to understand the economic proposal he had previously advocated.

“Bola, you are like a dull student who copied his classmate’s answer so blindly that he copied the classmate’s name at the top of his exam paper and then demanded marks for original thinking,” he said.

He added: “You copied my production subsidy proposal, stripped away the part that makes it work, and handed Nigerians a 30-day discount. Where is the rest of the answer? Bola, you see why it is good to go to school!”

Atiku also accused Tinubu of intellectual laziness, alleging that the administration had adopted a limited version of an economic relief proposal it had previously dismissed.

The ADC candidate said he had advocated targeted production support to reduce fuel costs, with safeguards to ensure that the benefits reached consumers while supporting petroleum products refined in Nigeria.

He argued that the government’s 30-day arrangement lacked the scope and durability required to address the underlying pressures driving petrol prices.

“Bola, you created the hardship and now want a medal for announcing fake relief. This is Deception 101 or, better still, yahoo-yahoo subsidy,” Atiku said.

The President had not responded to the specific remarks at the time of the address, according to the account provided.

Questions Scope of Petrol Discount

Atiku’s criticism centred on the Federal Government’s proposed 30-day petrol discount at Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) retail stations, announced as part of efforts to cushion the impact of high fuel prices.

The initiative prioritises public transport operators, but the former Vice-President questioned whether its duration and coverage would provide meaningful relief to the wider population.

Referring to a ₦50-per-litre discount, Atiku argued that the concession was too limited to offset the cumulative effects of high fuel costs on household budgets and business operations.

He also challenged the government to demonstrate that any savings enjoyed by transport operators would translate into lower fares for passengers.

“Do not hide behind the word ‘discount’,” he said, questioning how the initiative would benefit farmers transporting produce, traders restocking shops, manufacturers running generators and families struggling with food costs.

Atiku argued that the impact of petrol prices extended beyond direct fuel purchases because higher transportation and production costs could be passed on to consumers through increased prices of food, goods and services.

The Federal Government, however, has maintained that the initiative does not amount to a return to the former petrol subsidy regime.

Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele said the 30-day measure would allow NNPC Ltd to sell petrol at cost during the period.

The difference between the government’s description of the intervention and Atiku’s assessment has become a major point of contention in the debate over the effectiveness of the policy.

‘Three and a Half Years of Hardship Cannot Be Erased in 30 Days’

Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of imposing painful economic adjustments on Nigerians without providing adequate protection against their effects on household incomes.

He argued that Nigerians had been asked to endure higher petrol prices and the associated economic pressures before the government introduced temporary relief.

“Nigerians are neither foolish nor forgetful. They have lived with the consequences of your decisions, and they will judge you by them,” he said.

The former Vice-President maintained that families could not plan their food budgets around a discount that would disappear after one month, while transport operators needed predictable operating costs and businesses required a stable environment for investment and job creation.

He described the initiative as a temporary palliative rather than a comprehensive economic recovery strategy.

“Thirty days cannot erase three and a half years of hardship,” he said.

Atiku also questioned whether a short-term reduction in petrol costs could compensate Nigerians for the broader effects of inflation, expensive transportation, declining purchasing power and higher business expenses.

Reiterates Alternative Economic Relief Proposal

The ADC presidential candidate said he had offered to share his economic relief plan with the Tinubu administration during his State of the Nation address on September 19, 2026.

According to Atiku, the government declined to embrace his proposal before introducing what he described as an inadequate alternative.

“In my last State of the Nation address, I offered to share my economic relief plan with you.

“Instead of accepting that offer in the national interest, you gathered your team of jesters to sell Nigerians a 30-day discount that leads nowhere,” he said.

He maintained that his proposed production-support model would provide a more sustainable response by linking assistance to petroleum products refined in Nigeria and sold to domestic consumers.

Atiku called for a system in which support would be capped, provided for in the budget and independently audited, with safeguards against abuse and mechanisms for determining the savings passed on to consumers.

He said the policy should be assessed by its ability to reduce costs and improve living standards rather than by which political figure received credit for it.

The practical impact of such a proposal, however, would depend on its financing, implementation, coverage and ability to translate production support into lower prices for consumers.

Raises Questions Over CNG Initiative

Atiku also criticised the government’s compressed natural gas (CNG) initiative, questioning whether the infrastructure required to make alternative fuels accessible was sufficiently operational.

He cited what he described as a non-functional CNG station in his state when the programme was announced, arguing that policy declarations would have limited impact without functioning facilities and reliable access.

For the ADC candidate, the broader question was whether government interventions were delivering measurable savings to households and businesses or primarily generating publicity.

He insisted that a credible economic recovery programme must address fuel costs alongside food affordability, electricity supply, insecurity and unemployment.

Charges Campaign Council to Take Message Nationwide

Beyond his criticism of Tinubu, Atiku charged members of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council with taking the party’s economic proposals to markets, motor parks, farms, campuses and communities across the country.

He said the campaign must clearly explain its proposed policies, how they would be financed and the benefits Nigerians could expect.

Atiku also called for transparent elections, insisting that political parties, accredited agents and observers should be able to independently verify polling-unit results.

He warned against attempts to restrict opposition campaigns in any part of the country, arguing that all political parties must be allowed to exercise their constitutional rights.

The ADC candidate framed the 2027 general election as a choice between continuing with the current administration and pursuing what he described as an alternative programme of economic recovery.

The inauguration of the campaign council therefore provided a platform for the opposition candidate to outline his political message and intensify his criticism of Tinubu’s economic record.

With petrol prices remaining a major concern for households and businesses, the debate is likely to focus on the reach and duration of the government’s intervention, the savings it delivers to consumers and the feasibility of alternative proposals advanced by the opposition.

For Atiku, the central question remains what happens when the 30-day discount expires.