Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has reacted to a new survey by SBM Intelligence, which found that 67.4 per cent of respondents want the Federal Government to restore petrol subsidy.
Atiku said the findings reflected growing dissatisfaction with President Bola Tinubu’s petrol pricing policy, as well as the broader economic difficulties confronting Nigerians.
His position was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.
According to Atiku, the survey results demonstrated a strong demand among Nigerians for measures that would ease the rising cost of fuel and transportation.
The findings were published in the second wave of SBM Intelligence’s Nigeria 2027 Voter Sentiment Tracker, titled Nigeria 2027: A Narrower Race.
The study involved 1,103 eligible voters drawn from 12 states and the Federal Capital Territory, covering the country’s six geopolitical zones.
SBM Intelligence said respondents were interviewed in both urban and rural communities.
The research organisation, however, noted that the findings represented a snapshot of the opinions of those surveyed and did not account for historical voter turnout, population projections or voter registration figures.
The survey identified petrol as one of the key issues shaping public sentiment in Nigeria.
Petrol ranked as the second-most cited national problem, accounting for 18.2 per cent of responses.
It also received the lowest performance rating among the policy areas assessed in relation to the current administration, with a score of 1.69 out of four.
The survey further reported that 67.4 per cent of respondents rejected the current petrol subsidy policy, while 19.2 per cent expressed support for it.
Reacting to the findings, Atiku said the issue should not be viewed solely through the lens of economic policy, but also against the backdrop of the challenges confronting households and businesses.
“This survey is no longer merely about economic policy. It has become a democratic question. When an overwhelming majority of Nigerians declare that a government policy is destroying their lives, responsible leadership must listen,” Atiku said.
He argued that the removal of petrol subsidy had affected several sectors of the economy, including transportation, food prices, household earnings and business operations.
“For three and a half harrowing years, Nigerians have suffered under Tinubu’s reckless ‘subsidy is gone’ experiment. Transport costs have exploded. Food prices have soared. Businesses have collapsed. Purchasing power has been destroyed, and millions of families have been pushed deeper into poverty.
“The survey simply confirms what Nigerians already know: Tinubu’s fuel policy has caused far more harm than good. The policy has been rejected, and the government responsible for it must also be rejected,” Atiku added.
The former Vice President also highlighted differences in the responses recorded among rural and urban residents.
The survey showed that 32.4 per cent of rural respondents identified petrol as their primary concern, compared with 11.7 per cent of respondents in urban areas.
Petrol was also identified as a particularly significant concern in the South-West and South-South regions, where 30.5 per cent and 29.1 per cent of respondents respectively named it as their leading concern.
Atiku said the figures demonstrated that the impact of fuel prices varied across different parts of the country, while remaining a significant issue for many Nigerians.
He also criticised the Federal Government’s approach to the removal of the subsidy, arguing that sufficient measures had not been implemented to protect households, workers, farmers and small businesses from its effects.
“President Tinubu removed subsidy with a slogan, not a strategy. He had no credible plan for domestic refining, mass transportation, wage protection or the millions of small businesses that depend on affordable energy,” he said.
Atiku has continued in recent months to advocate a change in the government’s approach to petrol pricing.
He has maintained that his proposal should not be interpreted as a return to the previous subsidy regime.
Instead, he has proposed a production subsidy for petroleum products refined domestically and sold to Nigerian consumers.
“If elected, from May 29, 2027, I will introduce a transparent production subsidy for petroleum products refined in Nigeria and sold to Nigerians,” Atiku said.
Under his proposal, imported petroleum products would not qualify for the arrangement.
He said the programme would operate within a fixed spending limit and require approval from the National Assembly.
The former Vice President also proposed the use of independent audits as part of the framework.
According to Atiku, the proposed policy would be aimed at lowering petrol prices, promoting domestic refining, generating employment and strengthening the purchasing power of Nigerians.
Recent reports have indicated that petrol prices in major cities had reached about N1,400 per litre or higher, increasing pressure on transportation costs and household spending.
The Tinubu administration removed the petrol subsidy in May 2023, shortly after the President assumed office.
The Federal Government has repeatedly defended the decision, maintaining that the subsidy imposed a significant strain on public finances.
The administration has also introduced measures, including compressed natural gas initiatives and other interventions, aimed at reducing transportation expenses.
Atiku, however, has continued to argue that the economic consequences of the subsidy removal require a different policy response.
