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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has intensified his criticism of President Tinubu’s regime, lambasting the ongoing expenditure on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) subsidies as a monumental waste of resources.
This latest salvo comes on the heels of President Tinubu’s controversial decision to greenlight the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s (NNPCL) proposal to divert the 2023 dividends earmarked for the federation to offset petrol subsidies.
Atiku took to his verified Facebook page to express his misgivings about the latest developments, lamenting the persistence of “opaque governance” under President Tinubu’s watch, which he believes is characterized by a lack of accountability and transparency.
Atiku highlighted the glaring inconsistency between President Tinubu’s latest move and his earlier pronouncement during a national broadcast, where he vowed to bring an end to the subsidy regime, only to now backtrack on that promise.
The PDP’s presidential flagbearer in the recent election, Atiku Abubakar, noted that subtle hints had been emerging of a covert revival of subsidy payments, albeit through more circuitous and less transparent channels, even before the administration’s latest move.
“This discrepancy between the President’s statements and his actions not only undermines the moral authority of his leadership but also significantly erodes the credibility of his administration,” Atiku stated.
Atiku Abubakar lambasted the prolonged delays in restarting the Port Harcourt refinery, branding it a “national embarrassment” that rests squarely on the shoulders of President Tinubu, who wears two hats as both President and Minister of Petroleum Resources.
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Atiku Abubakar highlighted that the NNPC Limited’s continued denials merely compound the challenges faced by Nigerians, who are grappling with the twin problems of fuel scarcity and escalating prices.
Atiku Abubakar expressed dismay over President Tinubu’s failure to address the ongoing rift between local investors who favor refining crude oil domestically and those who advocate for importing PMS.
The PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, challenged President Tinubu to take ownership of resolving the critical challenges, emphasizing the need for openness in the downstream petroleum sector and pressing for clear explanations on the subsidy policy and PMS refining intricacies.
