Atiku Abubakar has reacted to a new SBM Intelligence survey showing that 67.4 per cent of respondents want the Federal Government to restore petrol subsidy.
The former Vice President said the finding reflected growing dissatisfaction with President Bola Tinubu’s petrol pricing policy and the wider economic pressure facing Nigerians.
Atiku’s position was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.
He described the survey result as a strong indication that Nigerians were demanding relief from rising fuel and transportation costs.
The survey was contained in the second wave of SBM Intelligence’s Nigeria 2027 Voter Sentiment Tracker, titled Nigeria 2027: A Narrower Race.
The research involved 1,103 eligible voters interviewed across 12 states and the Federal Capital Territory, covering the six geopolitical zones.
SBM Intelligence said the interviews were conducted across both urban and rural locations.
However, it cautioned that the findings represented a snapshot of the views of those surveyed and did not adjust for historical voter turnout, population projections or voter registration figures.
According to the survey, petrol has now become one of the major issues influencing public sentiment in the country.
It ranked as the second-most cited national problem, accounting for 18.2 per cent of responses.
The issue also recorded the lowest performance rating among the policy areas tested in relation to the current administration, scoring 1.69 out of four.
The survey further found that 67.4 per cent of respondents rejected the current petrol subsidy policy, while 19.2 per cent supported it.
Reacting to the figures, Atiku said the result went beyond an economic assessment and should be viewed in the context of the difficulties being experienced by 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 areas of the economy, particularly transportation, food prices, household income 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 drew attention to the differences recorded between rural and urban respondents.
According to the survey, 32.4 per cent of rural respondents identified petrol as their primary concern, compared with 11.7 per cent among urban respondents.
The issue was also particularly prominent in the South-West and South-South, where 30.5 per cent and 29.1 per cent of respondents respectively identified petrol as their leading concern.
Atiku said the figures showed that the impact of fuel prices was being felt differently across the country, while still remaining a major concern for many Nigerians.
He also criticised the Federal Government’s handling of the subsidy removal, arguing that adequate measures were not put in place to cushion the effect on households, workers, farmers and small businesses.
“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 in recent months continued to push for a change in the government’s approach to petrol pricing.
He has maintained that his proposal is different from a return to the previous subsidy arrangement.
Instead, he has proposed a production subsidy for petroleum products refined in Nigeria and sold to Nigerians.
“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.
He said imported petroleum products would not benefit from the proposed arrangement.
According to him, the programme would have a fixed spending limit and would require approval from the National Assembly.
He also proposed independent audits as part of the framework.
Atiku said the objective would be to reduce petrol prices, encourage domestic refining, create jobs and improve the purchasing power of Nigerians.
Recent reports showed petrol selling at about N1,400 per litre or higher in major cities, with the increase adding pressure to transportation and household expenses.
The Tinubu administration removed the petrol subsidy in May 2023 shortly after the President assumed office.
The government has repeatedly defended the decision, arguing that maintaining the subsidy was placing a heavy burden on public finances.
The administration has also introduced measures such as compressed natural gas initiatives and other interventions aimed at reducing transportation costs.
Atiku, however, has continued to argue that the economic consequences of the policy require a different response.