Former Vice President and the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of poorly replicating his production subsidy model. He stated this while reacting to the recent 30-day fuel discount announced by the Federal Government.
The former Vice President made the declaration on Friday during the official inauguration of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council in the nation’s capital, Abuja. He stated that the current administration stripped away the functional aspects of his proposed economic relief plan.
“You copied my production subsidy proposal, stripped away the part that makes it work, and handed Nigerians a 30-day discount,” Atiku.
He recalled his earlier offer to share his economic blueprint in the national interest, stressing that the Federal Government opted for a short-term approach instead of implementing lasting solutions. The ADC presidential candidate described the 30-day petrol discount as a deception after years of unbearable living conditions for Nigerians.
“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?” Atiku said.
Atiku also called for an electoral reform to safeguard the people’s mandate. He demanded independent audits of election technology, live broadcasts from state and national collation centres, and serious penalties for result tampering.
“We also demand independent audits of election technology before and after elections, an independent commission to investigate and prosecute electoral offenses, electoral institutions whose transparent processes command public confidence, and severe penalties for vote suppression, result tampering and fraud.”
Also speaking at the event, the Chairman of the ADC Campaign Council, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, urged Nigerians to secure their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the polls. He charged the electorate to guard their votes peacefully, adding that millions of citizens cannot be rigged out of their own country.
Similarly, the National Chairman of the party, Senator David Mark, charged the campaign council to engage citizens across all local governments on pressing national concerns. He reiterated that the campaign must remain focused on issues bordering on the economy, security, inflation, and good governance.
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