*As ADC presidential candidate promises targeted fuel subsidy, cheaper transport, stronger security and regional cooperation ahead of 2027 F...
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*As ADC presidential candidate promises targeted fuel subsidy, cheaper transport, stronger security and regional cooperation ahead of 2027
Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has launched one of his strongest attacks yet on the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accusing the Federal Government of worsening the economic hardship confronting Nigerians and promising a fundamental policy shift if elected in 2027.
Atiku’s latest interventions have focused on the rising cost of transportation, fuel subsidy, insecurity, youth unemployment and Nigeria’s relations with neighbouring countries, as he seeks to present his candidacy as an alternative to the policies of the incumbent administration.
Reacting to the Federal Government’s plan to work with state governments to reduce transportation fares through Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Atiku described the move as a belated attempt to address a crisis which, according to him, was aggravated by the removal of petrol subsidy.
Through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku argued that converting vehicles to CNG could reduce operators’ fuel costs but would not, on its own, restore the purchasing power of Nigerians.
“CNG can make a converted bus cheaper to operate. It cannot make a poor Nigerian richer,” Atiku said.
He criticised the government’s reported conversion of more than 120,000 vehicles to CNG in over three years, comparing the figure with widely cited estimates of about 14 million vehicles on Nigerian roads.
Atiku said the figure represented less than one per cent of the vehicle population and described the government’s presentation of the CNG programme as a major achievement as evidence of what he called policy failure.
The former vice president also questioned the decision to target October 1 as the beginning of lower transport fares, arguing that Nigerians were already struggling with high food, energy and transportation costs.
“Nigerians are hungry today. Transport is expensive today. Food is expensive today. Businesses are dying today. Why must relief arrive by appointment?” he asked.
At the centre of Atiku’s alternative economic message is a proposal for what he described as a targeted and transparently managed fuel subsidy linked to domestic production.
He said subsidy should not return as an avenue for enriching politically connected individuals or multinational companies but should instead be designed to directly protect struggling households, workers, farmers, traders and small businesses.
Atiku also pledged to support domestic refining, improve petroleum production monitoring, cap costs and reduce energy expenses, arguing that Nigeria’s economic crisis requires intervention at its source rather than temporary palliatives.
“That is the difference between Tinubu and Atiku: Tinubu manufactures hardship and distributes palliatives. Atiku will attack hardship at its source,” he said.
Beyond the economy, Atiku has made insecurity a central part of his 2027 campaign message, pledging that an administration led by him would tackle the country’s security crisis within one year.
In an interview with BBC Hausa, the ADC candidate promised to recruit additional security personnel, equip and adequately fund them, while creating employment opportunities for young Nigerians whom he said were increasingly vulnerable to criminal activities because of unemployment.
“I will not take more than one year to end it,” Atiku said, adding that his administration would strengthen security forces and support young Nigerians to establish businesses.
He also proposed stronger regional security cooperation through ECOWAS, including efforts to revive the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG).
According to him, closer military cooperation among ECOWAS member states could strengthen the fight against terrorism and instability across the region.
On Nigeria’s strained relationship with Niger Republic following the military takeover in that country, Atiku argued that Nigeria should maintain its bilateral relationship with Niger and work towards bringing Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali back into ECOWAS.
He maintained that geographical, historical and economic ties between Nigeria and Niger should not be sacrificed because of political changes in the neighbouring country.
Atiku has equally questioned the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 elections, urging Nigerians to vote and protect their votes.
He disclosed that the 2027 presidential election would be his final attempt at seeking the presidency, while promising to remain available to advise younger politicians should he fail to win.
But the Presidency has pushed back strongly against some of Atiku’s campaign positions, particularly his pledge to “open the borders”.
President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, said Nigeria’s land borders were already open, arguing that the former vice president’s promise was therefore unclear.
Dare said most of Nigeria’s land borders were reopened in March 2024 and cited President Tinubu’s opening of the Kamba border in Kebbi State in February 2026 as evidence of the administration’s commitment to legitimate cross-border trade.
The presidential aide challenged Atiku to explain whether his proposal meant removing existing border controls and, if so, how his administration would prevent terrorism, arms trafficking, smuggling, human trafficking and other transnational crimes.
According to Dare, an open border should not be confused with an uncontrolled border, stressing that modern border management must combine legitimate movement and commerce with immigration control, customs administration, intelligence-sharing, surveillance and security cooperation.
The Presidency also challenged Atiku to provide detailed alternatives on border surveillance, intelligence-sharing, customs modernisation, technology and regional security cooperation.
Dare further accused Atiku of focusing excessively on reversing or renaming policies of the Tinubu administration instead of presenting a sufficiently detailed alternative programme.
“Rather than presenting Nigerians with a coherent alternative, Atiku appears increasingly preoccupied with promising to reverse, reopen, or rename initiatives already being implemented,” Dare said.
The Presidency maintained that the Tinubu administration remained open to scrutiny and should be judged by measurable outcomes in security, economic recovery, border management and citizens’ welfare.
The emerging political battle therefore goes beyond personalities, with the 2027 contest increasingly shaping up as a referendum on how Nigeria should respond to the economic and security pressures facing the country.
For Atiku, the message is that Nigerians need a departure from the current policy direction, with targeted intervention on fuel prices, stronger domestic production, increased security investment, employment creation and deeper regional cooperation.
For the Tinubu administration, the argument is that its reforms—including the CNG programme, border reopening and security strategy—are already laying the foundation for long-term economic recovery and that alternative proposals must be measured against practical realities.
With the 2027 presidential race gathering momentum, Atiku is positioning himself as the candidate who would reverse what he describes as policies that have deepened hardship, while the Presidency insists that Nigerians deserve facts, measurable results and credible alternatives rather than campaign rhetoric.
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