SUBSIDY REVERSAL: Yilwatda Tackles Atiku, Warns Policy Could Jeopardise Nigeria’s Economy

By Pan Afric Reporters

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has cautioned former Vice President Atiku Abubakar against proposing a reversal of petrol subsidy removal, warning that such a move could reopen the fiscal pressures and economic distortions that prompted the reform.

The position was contained in a statement issued by Abimbola Tooki, Special Adviser to the APC National Chairman on Media and Information Strategy, on August 23, 2026, following Yilwatda’s visit to the headquarters of the City Boy Movement in Abuja, where he inspected the organisation’s facilities and met with its leadership.

Yilwatda described Atiku’s proposal as a troubling policy reversal and questioned the preparedness of the opposition to govern, arguing that Nigerians deserved comprehensive and sustainable economic alternatives rather than election-season promises.

The APC chairman said any proposal to restore subsidy should be subjected to rigorous scrutiny, particularly in view of the financial burden the regime placed on public finances and the distortions it created in the economy.

“Economic policy cannot be reduced to election-season promises. Nigerians deserve to know precisely where the money will come from, what sectors will bear the cost and whether such a policy can be sustained without reopening the fiscal pressures that necessitated reform in the first place,” Yilwatda said.

He argued that the removal of petrol subsidy was a difficult but necessary decision, stressing that the appropriate response should be to introduce complementary measures to cushion its impact, strengthen productive sectors and expand social interventions rather than simply reverse the policy.

According to him, the real test of leadership lies in the ability to take difficult decisions, explain them honestly to citizens and remain committed to policies capable of delivering sustainable economic growth.

Yilwatda further questioned why the opposition was only presenting such a major policy proposal months before the 2027 general election, after what he described as more than three years without a comprehensive and convincing alternative governing agenda.

He warned that reversing economic reforms without a credible replacement could undermine investor confidence, increase fiscal pressures and jeopardise efforts to reposition the Nigerian economy.

The APC national chairman urged Nigerians to carefully examine the economic programmes of political parties and presidential aspirants ahead of the 2027 elections, distinguishing between policies aimed at addressing structural economic challenges and promises designed primarily to secure short-term political support.

He also criticised what he described as ideological and organisational inconsistencies within the opposition, arguing that frequent movement between political platforms could raise questions about the stability and clarity of those seeking to govern the country.

Yilwatda contrasted this with the political trajectories of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, whom he said had maintained consistency within the progressive political tradition, apart from periods of political mergers.

He maintained that the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms were designed to attract investment, boost domestic production and reduce dependence on unsustainable government interventions, insisting that the government remained committed to building a productive and investment-friendly economy.

The APC chairman also urged Nigerians to scrutinise the records and policy positions of presidential aspirants, including their past roles in government and positions on major economic decisions.

He said the 2027 presidential election should be a contest of ideas, competence and credible policy alternatives rather than a competition over who could make the most attractive promises at the last minute.

“The 2027 election must be a contest between competing visions for Nigeria’s future, not a referendum on who can make the most attractive promises at the last minute,” he said.

Yilwatda reiterated that the APC would continue to defend policies aimed at building a more productive, economically sustainable and investment-friendly Nigeria, while remaining open to constructive criticism and credible alternatives.