Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, on Saturday criticised President Bola Tinubu over recent comments comparing Nigeria’s fuel prices with those of other African countries, insisting that Nigerians are economically worse off despite paying less for petrol.
The chieftain of the African Democratic Congress made his position known in a statement issued in Abuja by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.
The response followed Tinubu’s remarks during a visit to Bayelsa State on Friday, where the President urged Nigerians to be grateful that petrol prices in the country remain lower than in countries like Kenya, even as he acknowledged the hardship caused by rising costs and promised relief measures for vulnerable citizens.
Reacting, Atiku said the comparison was misplaced and failed to reflect the economic realities faced by Nigerians.
He said, “It is both curious and troubling that the President would isolate fuel prices as a metric of economic comfort while ignoring the far more critical indicators of purchasing power, income levels, and cost of living.
“This selective reasoning betrays either a fundamental misunderstanding of economic realities or a deliberate attempt to deflect from policy failures.
“Yes, petrol prices in Nigeria may appear lower than in countries like Kenya or South Africa. But this comparison collapses instantly when placed against the backdrop of economic realities. Nigeria today is more expensive to live in than Kenya, with the average cost of living significantly higher, despite lower fuel prices.”
