African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has criticised African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar over his renewed promise to restore petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027.
Sowore, in a post on his verified X account on Friday, accused Atiku and other established political figures of changing their positions on fuel subsidy for political convenience. He urged Nigerians to examine the history of the subsidy debate rather than accepting new campaign promises without scrutiny.
The dispute comes as fuel subsidy has once again become a major political issue ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election.
Sowore challenges Atiku’s new position
Atiku, a former vice president and the ADC presidential candidate, recently made the restoration of petrol subsidy a central part of his economic argument for the 2027 election.
In August, Atiku said he would restore what he described as a “targeted subsidy” if elected, arguing that Nigerians had not experienced sufficient benefits from the removal of the subsidy under President Bola Tinubu.
He linked the rising cost of petrol to higher transportation and food prices, saying an effective intervention should help restore Nigerians’ purchasing power. Atiku has also maintained that he does not intend to return to the alleged importation and corruption associated with the former subsidy regime.
But Sowore has rejected the argument that Atiku should now be presented as the politician who has consistently opposed the removal of subsidy.
“Don’t let Atiku Abubakar and his clowning group deceive you about fuel subsidy,” Sowore said in his reaction, arguing that the AAC had maintained a consistent position on the issue.
He further claimed that politicians who previously supported or accepted subsidy removal were now changing their positions because of the political climate surrounding the 2027 election.
Atiku insists his position has not changed
Atiku’s latest comments followed controversy surrounding remarks by one of his media aides, Paul Ibe.
Ibe had suggested in a television interview that an Atiku administration would restore the subsidy temporarily and later phase it out after the economy had recovered.
Atiku subsequently distanced himself from that explanation and said the aide was not speaking on his authority.
The ADC candidate then reiterated that his position was to restore the subsidy, describing the policy as a measure that could provide relief to Nigerians facing high transportation and living costs.
Atiku has also argued that the government should be more concerned with the purchasing power of citizens than simply increasing government revenue.
His position represents a significant political shift from the subsidy debate surrounding previous elections. Reporting on his current position has noted that Atiku, President Tinubu and Peter Obi had all publicly supported ending petrol subsidy during the 2023 election period, although their positions differed on timing and implementation.
The NBA conference became a major flashpoint
The latest disagreement between Sowore and Atiku’s political camp comes shortly after a heated discussion involving Sowore and ADC vice-presidential candidate Rotimi Amaechi at the Nigerian Bar Association’s 2026 Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt.
The conference brought several prominent political figures together for discussions on Nigeria’s economy, security, policing and governance ahead of the 2027 elections.
Fuel subsidy became one of the issues that generated sharp exchanges during the presidential aspirants’ panel. Channels Television reported that Sowore and Amaechi were among the political figures involved in the debate, with the broader session covering issues including insecurity, poverty and the future of policing in Nigeria.
The Nigerian Bar Association’s 2026 Annual General Conference was held in Port Harcourt beginning August 21.
Sowore now appears to be using that debate to reinforce his argument that the AAC has been more consistent on the subsidy question than some of the larger political formations.
Why fuel subsidy is returning to the centre of the 2027 campaign
The subsidy debate is not simply about the price Nigerians pay at filling stations.
It is tied directly to transportation costs, food prices, household purchasing power, inflation, government revenue and the sustainability of public finances.
President Tinubu announced the removal of petrol subsidy during his inauguration on May 29, 2023. The Federal Government has defended the decision on the grounds that the subsidy system was costly and vulnerable to abuse, arguing that resources previously committed to the scheme could instead be directed towards infrastructure and other areas of public spending.
Opposition politicians, however, have increasingly focused on the economic consequences Nigerians have experienced since the policy change.
Atiku’s current argument is that the benefits promised after subsidy removal have not adequately reached ordinary Nigerians. He has questioned what happened to the savings generated by the policy and has argued that government must prioritise citizens’ purchasing power.
That argument gives the subsidy issue a strong political dimension going into 2027: voters are likely to judge not only whether subsidy should exist, but also whether any replacement system can actually reduce the cost of transportation, food and other essentials.
What Nigerians should watch next
The emerging dispute between Sowore and Atiku is likely to continue as political parties develop their economic platforms ahead of the 2027 election.
The key question will be how each candidate intends to finance any proposed subsidy and how the policy would be structured.
Atiku has referred to a targeted subsidy rather than simply promising a return to the exact system that existed before 2023. However, important details about the proposed mechanism, funding structure, beneficiaries and safeguards against abuse will be crucial if the proposal becomes part of his formal campaign programme.
For Sowore and the AAC, the immediate political objective appears to be establishing a distinction between their position and that of established political parties.
Rather than accepting competing claims at face value, Nigerians will ultimately have to examine each candidate’s previous position, current proposal, funding plan and evidence for how the policy would affect fuel prices, transportation and household costs.
As the 2027 election approaches, the fuel subsidy debate could therefore become one of the clearest tests of whether Nigeria’s opposition parties can offer substantially different economic policies—or whether campaign promises will once again shift with political circumstances.
LMSINT MEDIA will continue to monitor the positions of the major presidential candidates and report developments surrounding Nigeria’s fuel subsidy and economic policy debate.
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