The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC-PCC) has called on African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar to provide further details on his proposed intervention to reduce the cost of locally refined petroleum products.
The council said Atiku should explain the legal, financial and operational arrangements that would guide the proposed subsidy and clarify how the policy would result in lower petrol prices for Nigerians.
The APC-PCC spokesperson, Dele Alake, made the demand in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, following Atiku’s recent advocacy for targeted government support for domestic refineries.
According to the council, questions remain over how government assistance to local refiners would translate into cheaper products at filling stations within the current regulatory framework governing the downstream petroleum sector.
It specifically asked whether refiners benefiting from the proposed intervention would be required to sell their products at government-determined prices.
The council said that if the answer was yes, Atiku should identify the legal provisions that would empower the government to impose such a condition and explain how it would align with the Petroleum Industry Act.
On the other hand, the APC-PCC said Atiku should explain how consumers would benefit from the proposal if refiners were not required to reduce their selling prices.
The council also requested details of the expected financial burden of the proposed policy, including its estimated annual cost, funding source, spending limit and the volume of petroleum products that would be covered.
It further sought information on measures that would be put in place to prevent possible diversion, fraudulent claims and cross-border smuggling of subsidised petroleum products.
The APC-PCC said any arrangement involving the supply of crude oil to domestic refineries at preferential prices could have implications for government revenue and should therefore be clearly accounted for.
The council also questioned whether changes to the Petroleum Industry Act would be necessary before the proposed intervention could be implemented, arguing that budgetary approval alone might not resolve the regulatory issues involved.
It further asked Atiku to clarify how his current proposal relates to his previous positions on petroleum subsidy and downstream deregulation.
The council referenced Atiku’s 2022 comments in which he reportedly described the subsidy system as fraudulent and supported its removal, alongside his more recent statement that he would restore subsidy.
According to the APC-PCC, Atiku’s campaign has presented the latest proposal as a targeted measure aimed at supporting domestic production rather than a return to the previous import-based subsidy arrangement.
The council contrasted the proposal with the Tinubu administration’s emphasis on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and electric mass transit as alternatives intended to reduce transportation costs.
It said more than 120,000 vehicles had been converted to CNG and that the Federal Government was working with state governments and transport stakeholders to expand conversion facilities and related infrastructure.
The APC-PCC maintained that any government intervention in the downstream petroleum sector should have a clear legal basis, transparent funding structure and measurable benefits for consumers.
It therefore urged Atiku to publish a comprehensive policy document, alongside independent legal and fiscal assessments, so Nigerians can better understand the implications of his proposal ahead of the 2027 general election.
