The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has criticised the Atiku subsidy plan, accusing former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of inconsistency over his proposal to restore petrol subsidy if elected in 2027.
Adebayo made the comment on Wednesday during an interview with News Central, following Atiku’s announcement that he would reinstate subsidy under an administration led by him.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has argued that Nigeria has sufficient resources to provide relief to citizens through measures aimed at reducing the cost of petrol.
Adebayo said Atiku’s current position differed from the position he presented during the 2023 presidential election.
According to the SDP candidate, Atiku previously campaigned on removing subsidy and selling the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
“My colleagues are changing parties, changing manifesto. For example, Vice President Atiku Abubakar said four years ago he will remove subsidy on day one and he will sell NNPC. Now four years later, he is in another party saying no, I am going to restore subsidy,” Adebayo said.
He described the change as contradictory, arguing that Atiku had previously regarded the subsidy system as economically unsustainable.
“Something that was in place, you said you will remove it. Now your colleague removed it. Now you say you want to put it back. Inconsistency,” the SDP presidential candidate said.
Atiku contested the 2023 presidential election under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), alongside other major candidates who supported subsidy removal as part of their economic proposals.
President Bola Tinubu removed the petrol subsidy after assuming office in May 2023. The decision resulted in a sharp increase in petrol prices and placed additional financial pressure on households and businesses.
The policy has remained a major subject of economic and political debate, particularly over fuel affordability and the management of Nigeria’s crude oil resources.
Atiku has maintained that his Atiku subsidy plan would not amount to a return to the previous subsidy arrangement.
Instead, he has proposed using Nigeria’s crude oil resources to support domestic refining and reduce the cost of petroleum products for consumers.
The former vice-president’s position has consequently generated competing reactions from political actors, with supporters arguing that government intervention could ease pressure on consumers while critics question the sustainability and consistency of the proposal.
Beyond the subsidy debate, Adebayo also criticised the movement of political figures between political parties ahead of the 2027 elections.
He argued that frequent changes in political affiliation and policy positions had weakened ideological consistency within Nigeria’s political system.
The SDP candidate’s comments come as political parties and presidential hopefuls intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections, with economic policies, fuel prices and the future of subsidy interventions expected to remain important campaign issues.
