Atiku cites SBM survey to justify fuel subsidy proposal

The Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has cited a recent SBM Intelligence survey indicating that 67.4 per cent of respondents support the restoration of petrol subsidy, saying the finding reflects Nigerians’ demand for relief from rising living costs.

In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, on Tuesday, Atiku said the figure showed widespread dissatisfaction with President Bola Tinubu’s fuel policy, which he blamed for increased transportation costs, rising food prices and declining purchasing power.

On Tuesday, a new SBM Intelligence report found that 67.4 per cent of Nigerians support the restoration of petrol subsidy.

The finding was contained in the second wave of the Nigeria 2027 Voter Sentiment Tracker, titled Nigeria 2027: A Narrower Race.

The research involved face-to-face interviews with 1,103 eligible voters across 12 states and the Federal Capital Territory, covering all six geopolitical zones.

Respondents were drawn from both urban and rural areas, including markets, schools, viewing centres and hotels.

Reacting, the former Vice-President said petrol was identified as the second-most cited national problem and the Tinubu administration’s worst-rated policy issue in the survey, scoring 1.69 out of four.

He also noted that 32.4 per cent of rural respondents identified petrol as their primary concern, compared with 11.7 per cent in urban areas.

The former Vice-President stated, “The 67.4 per cent figure is more than an economic statistic. It represents the growing majority of Nigerians who have rejected Tinubu’s punishing economic philosophy and are embracing Atiku’s alternative vision of a government that protects its citizens rather than abandons them to the cruelties of the market.

“This survey is no longer merely about economic policy. It has become a democratic question. When an overwhelming majority of Nigerians declare that a government policy is destroying their lives, responsible leadership must listen.

“This survey is not merely about percentages. It is the collective cry of Nigerian families who can no longer afford food, workers whose salaries disappear on transportation, farmers who cannot move their produce to market and businesses collapsing under the weight of fuel and energy costs.

“For three and a half harrowing years, Nigerians have suffered under Tinubu’s reckless ‘subsidy is gone’ experiment. Transport costs have exploded. Food prices have soared. Businesses have collapsed. Purchasing power has been destroyed, and millions of families have been pushed deeper into poverty.”

Atiku noted that petrol was a bigger concern among rural respondents than their urban counterparts.

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The statement read, “The survey simply confirms what Nigerians already know: Tinubu’s fuel policy has caused far more harm than good. The policy has been rejected, and the government responsible for it must also be rejected.

“Petrol also emerged as the leading concern in the Southwest, at 30.5 per cent, and the South-South, at 29.1 per cent—clear evidence that the suffering caused by Tinubu’s fuel policy cuts across geography, ethnicity and political affiliation.

“President Tinubu removed subsidy with a slogan, not a strategy. He had no credible plan for domestic refining, mass transportation, wage protection or the millions of small businesses that depend on affordable energy.

“He was warned that this reckless approach would destroy purchasing power, increase transportation costs, worsen food inflation and push more Nigerians into poverty. He ignored those warnings. Today, the Nigerian people are delivering their verdict.”

Atiku said the government could no longer rely on statistics and CNG claims to mask the high cost of petrol and transportation.

He added, “Nigerians do not eat GDP figures. A mother cannot take FAAC allocations to the market. A worker cannot fuel his vehicle with presidential promises. Any economic reform that does not improve the lives of the people has failed.

“That is where Atiku is fundamentally different. Tinubu believes in imposing higher taxes, withdrawing every form of protection and exposing citizens to the full force of an economic crisis his government helped to create.

“I believe that government has a duty to protect its people, strengthen domestic production and shield vulnerable families from devastating economic shocks.”

Atiku said his proposed policy would replace the past subsidy system with a transparent production subsidy for petroleum products refined and sold domestically.

The statement added, “If elected, from May 29, 2027, I will introduce a transparent production subsidy for petroleum products refined in Nigeria and sold to Nigerians.

“Imports will not qualify. The programme will have a fixed spending limit, National Assembly approval and independent audits. Its purpose will be to reduce fuel prices, strengthen domestic refining, create Nigerian jobs and restore the purchasing power that this administration has destroyed.

“The 67.4 per cent demanding relief represents a democratic majority. On the strength of that democratic mandate, we will replace Tinubu’s policy of punishment with a policy of production, protection and affordability.”