Nigerians on social media have taken a swipe at the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, following his criticism of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s promise to restore petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027.
Dare, in a statement titled “Atiku’s Subsidy U-Turn: The Bankruptcy of Desperate Ambition,” accused the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate of political opportunism, arguing that his proposal amounted to a reversal of the position he held during the 2023 presidential election.
He argued that the former subsidy regime was characterised by corruption, rent-seeking and financial leakages, warning that its restoration could undermine local refining, investor confidence and Nigeria’s foreign exchange position.
But the statement triggered a wave of criticism online, with several Nigerians questioning the government’s defence of subsidy removal amid the economic hardship that followed the policy.
Reacting to Dare’s statement, X user Uche Diala posted: “And @SundayDareSD got roasted by Nigerians on a Sunday morning. Nigerians ain’t smiling,” before sharing Dare’s article and quoting the popular Abraham Lincoln line: “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.”
Another user, Ruffydfire, responded to the subsidy debate by highlighting concerns over the Tinubu administration’s handling of the funds saved from subsidy removal.
Similarly, Dr Usman Isyaku questioned the policy argument behind the government’s position, asking who had benefited from the subsidy removal and recalling that Atiku had advocated subsidy removal during the 2023 campaign.
The reactions reflect a broader public debate over whether the subsidy removal has delivered sufficient benefits to Nigerians to justify its continued absence, particularly as the cost of living remains a major concern.
Atiku recently said he initially did not oppose the removal of subsidy but would restore it if elected in 2027, while also demanding an account of the funds saved from the policy.
He said the money should have been channelled into sectors such as healthcare, education and security.
Dare, however, maintained that restoring subsidy would amount to reversing a difficult but necessary economic reform and urged Nigerians to reject what he described as an attempt to exploit their hardship for political gain.
The heated online reaction has therefore shifted part of the debate from Atiku’s proposed policy to the government’s own record on subsidy savings, with Nigerians demanding clearer answers on what has been achieved since the policy was scrapped.
Okikiola Adewale is a young and vibrant undergraduate pen pusher with training in both print and digital journalism. He has a flair for writing, content development and people-oriented reporting to seek societal change.
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