Atiku Abubakar would restore the petrol subsidy before phasing it out at a later stage, according to Paul Ibe, his spokesperson. BusinessDay Nigeria reported the statement while identifying the former vice-president as the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate.
The position sets out a two-step approach rather than an indefinite commitment to subsidising petrol. Under the plan described by Ibe, the subsidy would first return and would subsequently be withdrawn. The supplied evidence does not indicate how long the restoration period would last or what conditions would trigger the later phase-out.
Important operational details are also not yet known. The report summary does not state the proposed subsidy’s scope, how it would be financed, how the restoration would be carried out or whether the eventual withdrawal would happen gradually or at once. It also provides no direct quotation expanding on Ibe’s statement or explaining the reasoning behind the proposal.
The announcement nevertheless gives voters and businesses an initial policy signal on an issue tied to petrol. A fuller assessment will depend on further information from Atiku or his campaign, including a timetable and implementation framework. Until those details are provided, the evidence supports only the broad sequence announced by Ibe: restoration first, followed by a later phase-out.