‘Atiku is confused’ – Wike hits ex-VP over promise to return fuel subsidy if elected President

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has criticised the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Atiku Abubakar, over his promise to consider restoring fuel subsidy if elected President in 2027.

Atiku had, in a recent interview, said he would consider restoring the subsidy removed by President Bola Tinubu.

Reacting to the statement while addressing journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Wike described the former Vice President as confused, accusing him of inconsistency on the subsidy issue.

According to Wike, Atiku had during the 2022 presidential campaign promised to remove the subsidy if elected, but was now proposing its restoration.

“Atiku is confused. He said in 2022 that he was going to remove the subsidy, now in 2026 he wants to restore fuel subsidy. Are you going back to the fraud?” Wike asked.

The FCT minister stressed that political leaders must be consistent in their promises and tell Nigerians the truth.

“We need to be consistent in what we say to our people. That is what leadership is.

“Leadership is not you coming out in the morning to say a thing and come back in the afternoon to say a different thing,” he said.