Fuel Tax Cut: Atiku Tells Tinubu To Emulate Germany In Protecting Nigerians From Hardship

Former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to emulate Germany’s approach of reducing fuel taxes to cushion citizens from rising living costs.

Atiku said the Tinubu administration had failed in what he described as one of government’s fundamental responsibilities: protecting ordinary Nigerians from severe economic hardship.

In a statement issued on Friday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku said Nigerian families were increasingly struggling with the cost of food, transportation and other basic necessities.

He said President Tinubu’s Independence Day address failed to adequately reflect the daily realities confronting Nigerians, arguing that the government had continued to defend policies that have contributed to higher living costs while offering what he described as excuses rather than relief.

Atiku also faulted the President’s description of fuel subsidies as “addictive” and challenged the claim that salaries and pensions had been paid “on time and in full,” citing reports of delays affecting federal workers and protests by pensioners.

The former vice president drew attention to Germany, which he said had reduced gasoline and diesel taxes by €0.17 per litre from October through December at an estimated cost of €2.5 billion, with pump prices subsequently beginning to decline.

According to Atiku, the German example demonstrates how government can intervene when fuel costs place additional pressure on households.

“When petrol becomes more expensive, transport becomes more expensive. When transport costs rise, food and other essentials cost more. The hardship follows Nigerians from the filling station to the market and into their homes.”

He said Nigerians deserved similar government attention and urgency in responding to the impact of fuel prices on household budgets.

Atiku further outlined what he described as his alternative approach, proposing targeted and budgeted support for fuel refined domestically, subject to strict auditing and mechanisms to ensure that the benefit translates into lower pump prices.

He said the proposed support would be tied to fuel refined in Nigeria, with the objective of supporting local production and employment while reducing costs for consumers. According to him, the scheme would be funded through reductions in government waste and protected against diversion and price manipulation, while imported fuel would be excluded.

Expressing sympathy for Nigerians facing difficult choices amid rising costs, Atiku said his administration would seek to make living expenses more affordable.

“To every Nigerian forced to choose between feeding a family, paying for transport or meeting another basic need, I am deeply sorry. You did not deserve this hardship.”

He accused the Tinubu administration of making life increasingly expensive while presenting the resulting hardship as the cost of economic reform.

Atiku said lower fuel costs could translate into reduced transport fares, more affordable goods and increased disposable income for households.

“Nigeria’s wealth should ease the burden on its people,” he said, adding that his proposed approach would focus on producing locally, creating jobs locally and reducing the cost of living.