Former Vice President of Nigeria and Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has said his proposed targeted subsidy programme will lead to cheaper fuel, lower transport fares and reduced food prices.
Atiku stated this in a statement issued by his Media Office on Friday in response to President Bola Tinubu’s proposal to reduce transport fares nationwide through the use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and electric vehicles.
Naija News recalls that Tinubu had said on Thursday that because “cheaper fuel must mean cheaper transport fares,” he had reached an agreement with state governors to “cut transport fares nationwide” by leveraging CNG and electric vehicles.
However, Atiku faulted the proposal, describing it as another “Animal Farm” promise.
The ADC presidential candidate said his proposed innovative subsidy would not only reduce fuel prices but also lower transportation and food costs, support local production, protect consumers and increase the purchasing power of Nigerians.
He questioned the readiness of the federal government’s plan to reduce transport fares from October 1, noting that the announcement by Tinubu appeared to conflict with the position of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).
Atiku noted that while Tinubu had said the federal government and state governors had agreed to begin implementing measures that would enable Nigerians to benefit from cheaper fares from October 1, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, in its communiqué issued after its August 26 meeting, said the proposed National Affordable CNG Transit Programme still required further consideration of its financing and implementation framework.
Governor Douye Diri had also indicated that the implementation timeline would be worked out with stakeholders.
“That means Nigerians deserve clarity. What exactly will be operational on October 1?” Atiku asked.
He said the government’s claim that more than 120,000 vehicles had been converted to CNG, with additional conversion kits being deployed, required further clarification.
“The government says more than 120,000 vehicles have already been converted to CNG and that additional conversion kits are being deployed. But Nigerians need more than a headline figure.
“It is pertinent to know how many of those vehicles are commercial passenger vehicles. How many are currently operating on CNG every day? How many passengers are actually benefiting from reduced fares?
“And in which states and on which routes? These are the figures that matter,” Atiku argued.
The Waziri Adamawa also questioned the availability of CNG infrastructure across the country, saying the announcement or planned construction of a station did not necessarily mean that it was operational and accessible to commercial transport operators.
“A station that has been announced, ordered or planned is not the same as a station that is operational, supplied and accessible to commercial transport operators,” he said.
Atiku urged the Tinubu-led APC government to publish the locations, status and commissioning timetable of CNG stations across the country.
He also called for a transparent mechanism to ensure that any savings arising from government support were passed on to commuters.
According to Atiku, “If government supports vehicle conversion, provides financing, supplies fleets or subsidises infrastructure, then participating operators should have clearly defined fare obligations.
“There should be: a published baseline fare; a published reduced fare; identified routes and participating operators; transparent details of government support; a clear implementation timetable; and an enforcement mechanism for operators who receive public support but fail to pass the savings to passengers.”
The former Vice President said the federal government’s previous experience with CNG showed the importance of enforcement.
He recalled that in 2025, the government announced a 40 per cent reduction in fares on CNG-serviced routes in Abuja and deployed a task force to monitor compliance.
However, he said reports at the time also pointed to challenges with CNG availability and the ability of converted vehicles to access adequate supplies.
“The lesson is clear: A fare reduction announced in Abuja is not the same as a nationwide transport solution.
“Nigeria is a large country with very different transport systems and levels of CNG infrastructure.
“A commuter in Lagos, Abuja or another major city may have access to CNG infrastructure that is unavailable to commuters elsewhere.
“So when the government says Nigerians nationwide will benefit from cheaper fares, Nigerians are entitled to ask for a state-by-state implementation plan,” he said.
Atiku said October 1 should not become another political deadline but a measurable deadline for delivery.
“October 1 should therefore not be another political deadline. It should be a measurable delivery deadline. By October 1, Nigerians should be able to ask: How much has my fare actually fallen?” Atiku queried.
He said the issue was particularly important because Nigerians had endured a prolonged cost-of-living crisis, adding that rising transport costs affected the prices of food, goods and services.
“Transport costs do not merely affect commuters; they affect the price of food, goods and services because everything has to be moved from one location to another.”
The ADC presidential candidate urged the federal government and state governments to publish details of the programme, including the number of vehicles and routes covered, participating states, funding commitments, expected fare reductions and the enforcement mechanism.
He also demanded clarity on what would happen in areas where CNG infrastructure was not yet available.
Atiku said the government must demonstrate its promises through measurable results, stressing that Nigerians paid their fares with money and could not commute on policy announcements.
He said the most important evidence of the programme’s success on October 1 would be what commuters experienced at bus stops.
“Nigerians do not pay their transport fares with policy statements; they pay with money they have earned. They do not commute on announcements; they commute on buses.”
He added, “On October 1, the only announcement that will truly matter to the ordinary Nigerian is the one made at the bus stop: ‘The fare has come down.’”
