Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of adopting his proposed production-linked fuel subsidy model without the safeguards he says are necessary to make it effective, as Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo dismisses the criticism and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) gives the Federal Government a two-week ultimatum over petrol prices and workers’ welfare.
The dispute comes amid the Federal Government’s 30-day petrol discount initiative through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), a proposed ₦1,350-per-litre ceiling on petrol landing costs and growing pressure from organised labour for measures to ease the rising cost of living.
Key Highlights
- Atiku Abubakar accuses Tinubu of adopting his production-linked fuel subsidy proposal without key safeguards.
- The Federal Government has introduced a 30-day NNPC petrol discount, described by officials as a margin reduction rather than a return to fuel subsidies.
- A proposed ₦1,350-per-litre landing-cost ceiling is being considered as a price-modulation measure.
- Festus Keyamo has criticised Atiku’s remarks, attributing them to bitterness over the 2023 presidential election.
- The NLC has issued a two-week ultimatum demanding lower petrol prices and action on workers’ welfare.
- Organised labour is demanding minimum wage renegotiation before the end of October 2026.
Atiku Accuses Tinubu of Adopting Fuel Subsidy Proposal
Atiku, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate and former vice president, has criticised the Federal Government’s latest fuel pricing measures, describing the 30-day NNPC discount as a “sugar rush masquerading as economic policy.”
He argued that the administration had adopted the central idea behind his proposed production-linked fuel subsidy model but failed to include the safeguards required to make it sustainable.
Atiku’s proposal centres on supporting petroleum products refined in Nigeria rather than subsidising imported fuel. He has argued that any such intervention should have clearly defined spending limits, independent audits and verifiable links to domestic refining and supply.
According to his position, these measures would make assistance more transparent and help ensure that the benefits reach households, transport operators and businesses.
He also maintained that a properly structured production-support model would offer a more durable response to fuel price pressures than a temporary discount at NNPC retail outlets.
FG Defends NNPC Petrol Discount and Proposed ₦1,350 Ceiling
The Federal Government’s current intervention involves NNPC foregoing its retail margin for 30 days to sell petrol at cost through its outlets, with priority reportedly given to public transport operators.
Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele has described the arrangement as a margin discount rather than a return to the fuel subsidy system that operated before its removal in 2023.
The government is also negotiating a proposed ceiling of ₦1,350 per litre on petrol’s ex-gantry or landing cost as a price-modulation mechanism. Under the arrangement being discussed, the ceiling would be reviewed monthly, with refiners and importers absorbing temporary shortfalls and potentially recovering them when market conditions improve.
The measures are intended to moderate price pressures, but their longer-term effects will depend on implementation, market conditions and the extent to which savings are passed on to consumers.
Atiku has argued that the temporary discount does not provide the structural protections he considers necessary for sustainable fuel price relief. He has also referred to earlier concerns raised by the Dangote Refinery over price controls, arguing that his proposed model would avoid compelling private refiners to sell below cost.
Keyamo Accuses Atiku of Political Bitterness
Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo has responded to Atiku’s criticism in a post on X, questioning the former vice president’s motives and linking his remarks to the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.
Keyamo described Atiku as a “pained and very bitter fellow” who, in his view, had struggled to accept that Tinubu secured the presidency.
The minister also contrasted Tinubu’s successful presidential bid with Atiku’s political history, noting that Tinubu won the presidency on his first attempt after serving as governor of Lagos State.
Keyamo further used the phrase “agitated depression” in his criticism and suggested that people around Atiku should focus on mental health support.
His remarks added a personal dimension to the disagreement, shifting attention from the economic merits of the competing fuel policy proposals to the political rivalry between the two camps.
Atiku’s criticism, however, centres on the structure and sustainability of the government’s fuel intervention, particularly whether it can deliver lasting relief without imposing new financial burdens on refiners or the public.
NLC Gives Federal Government Two-Week Ultimatum
The Nigeria Labour Congress has added pressure on the Tinubu administration, issuing a two-week ultimatum over petrol prices, minimum wage negotiations and outstanding agreements with organised labour.
The ultimatum followed a joint meeting of the NLC’s National Executive Council and Central Working Committee. According to a communiqué signed by NLC President Joe Ajaero, the two-week period began on Friday, October 9, 2026.
The labour union is demanding that the Federal Government reduce petrol prices nationwide to the level that prevailed when the current national minimum wage was signed into law in 2024, a demand it had also pressed in its Independence Day message.
It has also called for minimum wage renegotiations to begin before the end of October and for the implementation of outstanding agreements, including the February 2026 terms of settlement involving the Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Healthcare Professionals.
The NLC warned that failure to meet its demands would compel its organs to consider further action.
Read also:
- NNPC 30-Day Petrol Discount Sparks Opposition Backlash as Presidency Denies Subsidy Return
- NLC Gives FG Two Weeks to Cut Petrol Prices, Demands Minimum Wage Talks
- FG Announces 10-Point Plan, N1,350 Petrol Landing Cost Ceiling
- PETROAN Seeks Wider Distribution as NNPC Extends ₦66 Petrol Discount to October 31
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Labour Links High Petrol Prices to Rising Cost of Living
The NLC has argued that elevated petrol prices continue to drive up transportation expenses, food costs and other household expenditures, weakening workers’ purchasing power.
The union’s demands place immediate pressure on the government to demonstrate how its fuel pricing measures will translate into meaningful relief for workers and the wider population.
While the NNPC discount is scheduled to last for 30 days, labour’s demands extend beyond the temporary intervention to include wage negotiations and the fulfilment of previously reached agreements.
The government’s response to the ultimatum could therefore shape the next phase of discussions between organised labour and the authorities over fuel prices and the cost of living.
Fuel Pricing Debate Intensifies as Deadline Approaches
The dispute between Atiku and the Tinubu administration highlights competing approaches to addressing Nigeria’s fuel price pressures.
The government maintains that the NNPC discount and proposed landing-cost ceiling are temporary measures intended to moderate costs, rather than a return to the former fuel subsidy regime.
Atiku, meanwhile, argues that a production-linked model with spending limits, independent oversight and support for domestic refining would provide a more sustainable framework.
The NLC is demanding more immediate action, including lower petrol prices, renewed minimum wage negotiations and implementation of outstanding agreements.
With the union’s two-week deadline now running, the government faces growing pressure to address workers’ concerns while determining how far its current fuel pricing measures can ease the cost-of-living burden.
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