President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Dr Sunday Dare, has launched a strong defence of the administration’s fuel-price intervention, accusing former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of exploiting Nigerians’ economic hardship for political advantage ahead of the 2027 general election.
In a statement titled “Atiku’s Demagoguery in the Face of Tinubu’s Logical Policies,” Dare criticised Atiku’s objections to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s (NNPC) 30-day petrol discount and his proposal for a production subsidy to ease fuel prices.
Dare described Atiku’s position as “a dangerous mathematical fantasy wrapped in political deceit,” arguing that Nigeria lacks sufficient freely available crude oil to sustain the proposed arrangement without placing additional pressure on government finances.
The controversy follows the Federal Government’s announcement that NNPC Retail would temporarily forgo its petrol retail profit margin to cushion the impact of rising international oil prices. NNPC subsequently confirmed that the discount, initially introduced to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary on October 1, would continue until October 31, 2026.
Atiku, however, questioned the effectiveness of the intervention, arguing that a temporary discount would not provide lasting relief from rising transport costs and the broader cost-of-living crisis.
Dare Challenges Atiku’s Economic Arguments
Dare argued that political leaders should address economic realities rather than promise quick solutions to problems that require long-term structural reforms.
He questioned Atiku’s criticism of Tinubu’s economic policies, particularly the proposal to subsidise crude oil supplied to domestic refineries, insisting that the policy would be difficult to implement without adequate crude volumes and a sustainable funding mechanism.
The presidential aide also contrasted the educational backgrounds of both politicians, questioning Atiku’s attempt to portray Tinubu’s economic approach as misguided while defending the administration’s policy direction.
According to Dare, Nigeria’s energy sector operates under complex contractual arrangements that prevent the Federal Government from treating all crude oil produced within the country as freely available public property.
Nigeria’s Crude Oil Supply and the Dangote Refinery Debate
Citing Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Taiwo Oyedele, Dare highlighted Nigeria’s crude oil production of approximately 1.8 million barrels per day and explained that a substantial portion is committed to production costs, royalties, joint-venture arrangements and production-sharing contracts.
Oyedele stated on Channels Television’s Politics Today that Nigeria did not have up to 700,000 barrels of freely available crude oil to supply the Dangote Petroleum Refinery or other operators on demand. He also explained that the refinery still needs to import crude to supplement domestic supplies.
Dare maintained that introducing a production subsidy without sufficient crude oil to support it could recreate the financial leakages, opacity and questionable transactions associated with Nigeria’s former fuel subsidy system.
He further argued that international comparisons must account for differences in production costs, contractual obligations, population size and national revenue requirements rather than assume that oil-producing countries can provide unlimited subsidised energy.
NNPC’s 30-Day Discount: Relief or Subsidy by Another Name?
Dare rejected the suggestion that NNPC Retail’s temporary discount amounts to a restoration of the petrol subsidy abolished in May 2023.
According to the Presidency, the arrangement allows NNPC Retail to sell petrol without its usual retail profit margin during the specified period, providing temporary relief without reinstating the former nationwide subsidy framework. NNPC has stressed that the initiative applies to its retail outlets and does not establish a uniform national pump price.
Dare also defended the government’s proposed price-modulation measures, arguing that temporary interventions can cushion the effects of sharp movements in international oil prices while preserving the broader market-based pricing system.
He contended that sudden fuel-price increases can push up transport fares and distribution costs, with reductions in petrol prices not necessarily translating into immediate reductions in the prices of goods and services.
Tinubu’s Reforms Under Renewed Scrutiny
Dare defended the Tinubu administration’s decision to remove the petrol subsidy and unify the foreign-exchange market, describing the measures as necessary steps to address longstanding fiscal and economic distortions.
He argued that subsidy removal reduced pressure on public finances and made more revenue available for distribution to the federal, state and local governments. The government has consistently maintained that the reforms were necessary to improve fiscal sustainability, although Nigerians continue to face concerns about fuel prices, inflation and household purchasing power.
The presidential aide also pointed to domestic refining, naira-for-crude arrangements, compressed natural gas (CNG) adoption and infrastructure investment as components of the administration’s wider economic strategy.
He maintained that expanding alternative transport fuels and strengthening local refining capacity could help reduce Nigeria’s exposure to international supply disruptions and foreign-exchange pressures over time.
In defending the administration’s approach, Dare also referenced international efforts to ease energy costs. For example, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on October 5, 2026, titled “Emergency Tax Relief on Diesel Fuel,” directing measures to defer certain diesel-fuel tax obligations and provide penalty relief for eligible taxpayers.
Dare Says Nigerians Should Look Beyond Political Slogans
Concluding his response, Dare argued that Nigeria’s economic challenges cannot be resolved through temporary promises or political rhetoric. He maintained that restoring a broad fuel subsidy without a sustainable financing mechanism could expose the country to renewed fiscal pressure and market distortions.
He portrayed Tinubu’s combination of market reforms and temporary relief measures as an attempt to balance economic stability with the immediate needs of households and businesses.
Atiku’s criticism, meanwhile, reflects the continuing political dispute over whether the government’s market-oriented reforms are delivering sufficient relief to Nigerians and whether alternative interventions could produce better results.
The central question remains whether the administration can translate its economic policies into sustained reductions in living costs, improved purchasing power and tangible benefits for ordinary citizens.
Dr Sunday Dare is the Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Public Communications. His statement represents the Presidency’s defence of the administration’s policies amid renewed debate over fuel prices and Nigeria’s economic direction ahead of the 2027 elections.
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