30-Day Petrol Relief: Tinubu Group Fires Back at Atiku, Defends NNPC’s Plan

The Tinubu Support Group (TSG) has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his opposition to the Federal Government’s 30-day petrol relief initiative, insisting that President Bola Tinubu is taking steps to ease the economic burden on Nigerians.

The group said the decision by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to temporarily waive its petrol retail profit margin was a practical measure to cushion the impact of rising fuel prices and transportation costs, rather than a return to the petrol subsidy regime abolished in May 2023.

The Director-General of TSG, Dr Umar Tanko Yakasai, stated this in a statement issued on Friday, stressing that the current intervention was fundamentally different from the former government-funded subsidy system.

According to him, NNPC Retail plans to sell petrol at cost by foregoing its retail profit margin for an initial period of 30 days to provide temporary relief to consumers.

Yakasai said the initiative demonstrated the Tinubu administration’s willingness to address the immediate economic challenges facing Nigerians while maintaining its broader reform agenda.

“President Tinubu understands the pressure that rising petrol prices place on Nigerian households, workers, traders and businesses. The 30-day intervention is one of the measures being explored to cushion the impact of the global oil-price shock on Nigerians,” he said.

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He described attempts to portray the initiative as a restoration of the former subsidy regime as misleading, arguing that both arrangements had different implications for public finances.

The TSG chief also pointed to other government measures aimed at addressing the cost-of-living crisis, including efforts to stabilise petrol landing costs, expand compressed natural gas (CNG) transportation and increase support for vulnerable households.

He said proposed negotiations to establish a ceiling on petrol landing costs, alongside measures to reduce transportation and logistics expenses, could help moderate the rising prices of goods and services.

However, Yakasai stressed that the benefits of the intervention must extend beyond fuel retailers and transport operators to ordinary Nigerians.

“The ultimate objective should be to ensure that relief reaches ordinary Nigerians. If transport operators benefit from lower fuel costs, commuters should also see corresponding reductions in fares. Government must ensure that these measures produce tangible results,” he said.

TSG Challenges Atiku’s Crude Oil Proposal

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Reacting to Atiku’s suggestion that the Federal Government should introduce a production-based subsidy through preferential crude oil pricing for domestic refineries, the group urged that the proposal be assessed based on its financial implications, transparency and capacity to deliver affordable petrol.

The TSG accused the former vice president of politicising the issue of citizens’ welfare, warning that supplying crude oil to domestic refiners below market value could result in significant revenue losses.

It argued that such losses could occur even if the cost did not appear as a direct expenditure in the national budget.

The group further maintained that reducing crude oil prices would not automatically translate into cheaper petrol without clear mechanisms to ensure that the savings were passed on to consumers.

“Any proposal intended to reduce petrol prices deserves serious consideration, but it must also answer fundamental questions about who bears the cost, how the arrangement will be financed and how Nigerians will benefit,” the statement said.

It added that policy proposals should be evaluated based on their transparency, sustainability and ability to provide relief without creating additional economic challenges.

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Group Defends Tinubu’s Economic Reforms

The TSG also argued that recognising the hardship Nigerians face as a result of economic reforms should not be interpreted as an admission that the reforms were unnecessary.

According to the group, the government must ensure that the long-term benefits of its economic policies translate into improved living conditions through measures addressing transportation costs, food prices, employment and household incomes.

It said the administration should be judged not only by its long-term economic objectives but also by its responsiveness to the immediate difficulties confronting citizens.

“Economic reforms must ultimately improve the lives of the people. The government recognises that Nigerians are facing difficult conditions, and that is why measures to cushion the effects of rising fuel prices and support vulnerable households are important,” Yakasai said.

He maintained that Tinubu remained committed to finding practical solutions to the economic challenges without returning the country to a subsidy arrangement the group considers potentially unsustainable.

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TSG Demands Transparency in Implementation

The group called on the NNPCL and relevant government agencies to ensure transparency in implementing the 30-day petrol relief initiative.

It urged the authorities to provide clear information on participating outlets, applicable pump prices and the mechanisms for monitoring the programme’s impact.

The TSG also called for effective monitoring to ensure that any savings made by commercial transport operators were reflected in fares paid by commuters.

It maintained that Nigerians deserved immediate economic relief alongside sustainable policies, urging stakeholders to focus public debate on the effectiveness of proposed solutions rather than what it described as the misrepresentation of government interventions.

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