Photo Credit: Isa Yuguda / Atiku Abubakar – Photo courtesy of The Sun NG
Fuel Subsidy Removal Saved Over N15trn, Boosted Govt Capacity – Yuguda Knocks Atiku

Former Governor of Bauchi State, Isa Yuguda, has faulted former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his call for the restoration of fuel subsidy, insisting that the removal has saved the country over N15 trillion and expanded government’s ability to fund critical sectors.

Yuguda spoke on Tuesday at the second edition of a policy roundtable in Abuja, where he reviewed the reforms of the President Bola Tinubu administration.

He said while Atiku’s proposal, who he described as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), may sound appealing to Nigerians seeking immediate relief from economic hardship, it ignores the country’s past experience with the subsidy regime.

Yuguda, who is Chairman, Board of Trustees of the APC Professional Forum and former Chairman of the 2009 Fuel Subsidy Task Force, said his committee had uncovered massive fraud, leakages and inefficiencies that made the old system unsustainable.

According to him, the subsidy consumed resources that should have gone into education, healthcare, security, agriculture and infrastructure, adding that President Tinubu only mustered the political will to carry out a reform long acknowledged as necessary.

“The additional fiscal space created by the subsidy reform has strengthened the capacity of the federal, state, and local governments to address critical national priorities, with over N15 trillion reportedly saved following the removal,” Yuguda said.

He cited the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as one of the gains of the removal, noting that it is expanding access to higher education. He also said increased funding and investment in modern equipment have improved the operational capacity of the military and other security agencies.

Yuguda, however, admitted that Nigeria still faces serious security challenges, driven by instability in neighbouring countries, porous borders and cross-border movement of armed groups. He urged the government to strengthen border security, intelligence gathering and regional cooperation.

He added that agriculture, revenue generation and economic diversification have also received renewed attention under the current administration to boost food security and build a more resilient economy.

On Atiku’s position, Yuguda warned that returning to the old subsidy system without addressing its fundamental flaws would be a step backward.

“As we approach the 2027 election, Nigerians must carefully evaluate political promises. Presenting a return to that system without clearly addressing these problems risks misleading Nigerians for short-term political gain and could reverse the fiscal space now supporting critical national investments,” he said.

He called for an honest, fact-based conversation on what the nation lost under subsidy and what can be achieved with the freed resources.
Source: The Sun Newspaper –