Atiku’s subsidy promise risks fiscal crisis — Yilwatda

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has rejected former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal to reverse the removal of petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027.

Yilwatda described the proposal as a troubling policy U-turn, arguing that economic policy should not be reduced to election-season promises.

The APC chairman spoke on Monday in Abuja during a visit to the headquarters of the City Boy Movement, where he inspected its facilities and interacted with its leadership.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, Yilwatda said Nigerians deserved to know how any plan to restore petrol subsidy would be funded and sustained.

“Economic policy cannot be reduced to election-season promises. Nigerians deserve to know precisely where the money will come from, what sectors will bear the cost and whether such a policy can be sustained without reopening the fiscal pressures that necessitated reform in the first place,” he said.

Yilwatda argued that the removal of petrol subsidy was a difficult but necessary decision, adding that the government should focus on measures to cushion its impact, strengthen social interventions and expand productive sectors.

He said the real test of leadership was not the ability to promise immediate relief for electoral advantage but the courage to take difficult decisions and explain them to citizens.

The APC chairman questioned why the opposition had not presented a comprehensive alternative economic programme over the past three years, arguing that Atiku’s proposal had emerged only months before the 2027 general election.

He warned that reversing the reforms without a credible alternative could undermine investor confidence, increase fiscal pressures and reverse economic gains being pursued by the Tinubu administration.

Yilwatda also urged Nigerians to scrutinise the economic programmes and track records of presidential candidates ahead of the 2027 election.

He said voters should distinguish between policies aimed at addressing structural economic problems and promises designed primarily to gain short-term political support.

The APC chairman further criticised what he described as ideological and organisational inconsistencies within opposition parties, arguing that politicians who frequently move between political platforms could struggle to provide the stability required to govern the country.

He maintained that President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima had demonstrated consistency in their political careers, while the APC had remained committed to its progressive platform.

Yilwatda also urged Nigerians to examine Atiku’s political record, including controversies surrounding the privatisation programme under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

He said questions of accountability and economic governance should not be ignored ahead of another election.

According to him, the 2027 presidential election should be a contest of ideas, competence and credible policy alternatives rather than competing promises aimed at securing votes.

He added that the APC would continue to defend policies aimed at building a productive, investment-friendly and sustainable Nigerian economy while remaining open to constructive criticism and credible alternatives.