Former Ekiti State Governor and ex-Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Kayode Fayemi, has accused African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar of using his fuel subsidy promise as a political strategy ahead of the 2027 election.
Fayemi made the claim during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time, where he compared Atiku’s subsidy proposal to the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket strategy in the 2023 election.
According to him, the promise to restore subsidy was designed to appeal to Nigerians who have been affected by rising fuel prices and the cost-of-living crisis rather than being based on an economic framework.
“My take on that is that Atiku’s proposal of subsidy is politically equivalent to our own Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2023. It’s a political strategy. It’s not an economic construct,” Fayemi said.
However, Fayemi admitted that the proposal could gain support among Nigerians struggling with the impact of subsidy removal, noting that many citizens are more concerned about survival than the technical arguments surrounding subsidy policy.
He said vulnerable Nigerians are focused on issues such as the cost of food, transportation, education and healthcare.
Fayemi maintained his support for fuel subsidy removal, saying he had advocated for the policy for years, including during his time as chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum.
“I was and I remain an advocate of fuel subsidy removal. As chairman of the governors’ forum, I spent four years in this battle,” he said.
The former governor also said President Bola Tinubu inherited groundwork on subsidy removal from the previous administration but criticised the manner in which the policy was implemented.
According to Fayemi, state governors had earlier worked with the Federal Government and the World Bank on a safety-net strategy aimed at protecting vulnerable Nigerians from the effects of subsidy removal.
He argued that Atiku was capitalising on the hardship Nigerians are currently facing.
“I believe that’s what Vice President Atiku is taking advantage of. The vulnerable segment of the population is still hard done by,” Fayemi said.
Fayemi added that poverty and inequality remain major drivers of insecurity, saying political leaders must focus on policies that improve the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians.
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