Fuel subsidy: Atiku replies Tinubu, "You are the Egypt Nigerians want to escape”
Atiku Abubakar has criticised Tinubu over fuel subsidy removal, insecurity and police welfare, saying Nigerians are desperate to escape their hardship.
Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president and repeat presidential candidate who ran against Bola Tinubu in the 2023 election, has remained one of the administration's most vocal critics since losing that contest. The latest clash centres on the removal of the petrol subsidy, a policy Tinubu announced on his inauguration day in May 2023 that immediately sent pump prices soaring and triggered a sharp rise in transport and food costs. Successive governments had long argued that subsidy payments were unsustainable and prone to fraud, but the abrupt withdrawal without cushioning measures in place drew criticism from opposition figures, labour unions and ordinary Nigerians who bore the brunt of the price shocks.
Atiku's "Egypt" metaphor plays on the biblical story of Israelites fleeing bondage, framing Tinubu's government as the hardship Nigerians are desperate to leave behind rather than a land of promise. Beyond subsidy removal, he has linked the economic strain to broader governance failures, including insecurity and poor welfare conditions for police personnel, arguing these issues compound citizens' suffering. The coverage across outlets converges on Atiku's central quote and subsidy criticism, though none of the reports detail a direct response from the presidency or specify what alternative measures Atiku is proposing.