Former Ekiti State Governor and ex-Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Kayode Fayemi, has likened ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar’s fuel subsidy proposal to the APC’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of 2023, describing both as political calculations rather than genuine policy positions.
Fayemi made the comparison during an appearance on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Monday, where he addressed the resurfacing debate over fuel subsidy following Atiku’s recent comments on the matter.
He argued that Atiku’s pitch is aimed squarely at Nigerians still reeling from the effects of subsidy removal, rather than resting on any coherent economic reasoning. According to him, the proposal mirrors the APC’s 2023 ticket decision in that both were designed to win over specific voter blocs ahead of an election.
Despite the criticism, Fayemi maintained that he remains a firm supporter of subsidy removal, a position he said he has held for years — including during his tenure as chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, when he spent four years pushing the federal government on the issue.
He conceded, however, that the policy has taken a heavy toll on vulnerable Nigerians, and said this is precisely the frustration Atiku is now tapping into for political gain.
On President Bola Tinubu’s implementation of the policy, Fayemi said the administration inherited groundwork already laid by its predecessor, but criticized how the rollout was handled. He noted that the Governors’ Forum had worked with the federal government and the World Bank on a safety-net framework meant to cushion the impact for the most vulnerable segment of the population — a plan he suggested was not properly executed.
Fayemi said many Nigerians are less concerned with the technical debate around subsidy policy and more focused on basic survival — feeding their families, keeping their children in school, and staying afloat amid rising costs. He went further to tie widespread poverty and inequality to the country’s security crisis, describing them as root causes of the insurgency and banditry currently plaguing the nation.
He concluded that Atiku’s subsidy stance should be read as a calculated move positioning him ahead of the 2027 elections, capitalizing on public anger over the economic hardship subsidy removal has caused.
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