The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has challenged the Presidency to a public debate on the removal of the petrol subsidy, saying Nigerians deserve facts, not insults and “gaslighting.”
The ADC was reacting to a post by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and National Orientation, Sunday Dare, who criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal for a targeted subsidy as part of his economic recovery plan.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has also faulted the proposal in recent days.
In the post on X, Dare accused Atiku, the ADC presidential candidate, of hypocrisy, saying true leadership requires defending difficult reforms instead of pursuing “populist illusions” for electoral gain.
He said Atiku’s position insults the intelligence of Nigerians who are coping with global economic headwinds.
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“True leadership requires the courage to defend difficult, foundational reforms even when the political weather is rough, rather than pandering to populist illusions for ballot-box validation,” Dare wrote.
He described Atiku’s intervention as a “desperate gambit” and urged Nigerians to reject it.
“Atiku’s hypocrisy is an insult to the collective intelligence of a resilient populace navigating global economic headwinds. By the Grace of God, this desperate gambit will fail, and all citizens of conscience must rise up to soundly repudiate this political innuendo,” he said.
Responding on X, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the government had failed to convince Nigerians of the benefits of subsidy removal three years after the policy was implemented.
“My brother, Sunny, take am easy o. It’s not enough to throw insults around and gaslight Nigerians. You guys had three years to demonstrate to Nigerians how the removal of fuel subsidy makes sense. You did not,” Abdullahi said.
He accused the government of mocking the hardship Nigerians are facing by describing it as “resilience” and said the opposition was now being attacked for proposing alternatives.
“Now, Atiku is proposing an alternative, and you all are running around,” he stated.
Abdullahi also accused the Presidency of hypocrisy, referencing past comments by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“And talking about hypocrisy? Watch the video of BAT attacking Jonathan for attempting to remove this same subsidy in 2012,” he said.
The ADC spokesman called for issue-based engagement instead of rhetoric.
“Let us know when you guys are ready for a real debate, not this anyhow talk,” he added.