The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has condemned former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal to reverse the removal of petrol subsidy, describing it as a deeply troubling policy U-turn that raises serious questions about the opposition’s preparedness to govern Nigeria.

Prof. Yilwatda said Nigerians deserve more than election-season declarations. He said any proposal to restore a costly subsidy regime must be subjected to rigorous scrutiny, particularly given the enormous fiscal burden subsidies placed on public finances and the distortions they created in the economy.

The APC National Chairman made the remarks during a visit to the headquarters of the City Boy Movement in Abuja, where he inspected the organisation’s facilities and interacted with its leadership.

The APC National Chairman noted that the opposition had been challenged repeatedly over the past three years to tell Nigerians what it would do differently if entrusted with power, yet no serious, coherent and convincing alternative had emerged. He said it was therefore suspicious that, after more than three years of silence on a comprehensive governing agenda, the former Vice President was only now, about four months before the 2027 general election, presenting a policy that could reverse hard-won economic adjustments and set the country’s development trajectory back several years.

“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,” Prof. Yilwatda said.

He maintained that the removal of subsidy was a difficult but necessary policy decision whose consequences required complementary measures to cushion its impact, expand social intervention and strengthen productive sectors of the economy.

Professor Yilwatda, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, said the real test of leadership was not the ability to promise immediate relief for electoral advantage, but the courage to take difficult decisions, explain them honestly to citizens and remain committed to policies capable of producing sustainable growth. He said Nigerians are too discerning to hand over the nation to politicians who have yet to demonstrate what they would do with presidential power beyond reversing difficult but necessary reforms.

He added that Nigerians should carefully examine competing economic programmes ahead of the 2027 elections and distinguish between policies designed to address structural problems and promises that may provide short-term political appeal while creating longer-term fiscal difficulties.

The APC National Chairman also criticised the lack of ideological and organisational consistency within the opposition, saying politicians who continually move from one political platform to another cannot credibly claim to offer the stability and clarity required to govern a complex country. He contrasted this with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he said has remained within the progressive political tradition throughout his political career, apart from periods of political mergers, while Vice President Kashim Shettima has also maintained a consistent political trajectory. He added that key APC stakeholders had remained committed to the party and its progressive platform.

He said the APC-led administration under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had taken difficult economic decisions and was implementing measures intended to reposition the economy, attract investment, strengthen domestic production and reduce dependence on unsustainable government interventions. He warned that reversing such reforms without a credible alternative could undermine investor confidence, worsen fiscal pressures and jeopardise the gains being pursued under the current administration.

Yilwatda urged Nigerians to be wary of political promises that appear designed primarily to secure votes rather than solve structural problems. He also urged them to scrutinise the records and policy positions of those seeking the presidency, including the history of disputes involving former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, particularly allegations surrounding corruption in the privatisation exercise undertaken during the Obasanjo administration. He stressed that questions of accountability and economic governance must not be swept aside in the rush toward another election.

He said the 2027 election should be a contest of ideas, competence and credible policy alternatives, not a competition in which difficult economic realities are glossed over for political convenience.

He said the 2027 election must be a contest between competing visions for Nigeria’s future, not a referendum on who can make the most attractive promises at the last minute.

Prof. Yilwatda reiterated that the APC would continue to defend policies aimed at building a more productive, investment-friendly and economically sustainable Nigeria, while remaining open to constructive criticism and credible alternatives.

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