The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticized the presidency over comments by the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, regarding former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s pledge to restore fuel subsidies if elected president in 2027
The party’s reaction followed Dare’s criticism of Atiku’s proposal, which the presidential hopeful made as part of his position ahead of the 2027 election
Atiku had promised to reinstate the petrol subsidy regime if elected President of Nigeria in 2027, a position that drew a response from Dare
Dare accused the ADC presidential candidate of political opportunism, arguing that the proposal represented a departure from the position Atiku took during the 2023 presidential election
The presidential aide described the proposal as a “desperate gambit” and said it would fail, while calling on citizens of conscience to reject what he described as political innuendo
However, the ADC urged the presidency to focus on addressing the concerns of Nigerians rather than attacking opposition figures
In a statement posted on X by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said political discourse should be centred on doing what is right for Nigerians rather than trading insults
Responding directly to Dare, Abdullahi said, “My brother, Sunny, take am easy o. It’s not enough to throw insults around and gaslight Nigerians.
“You guys had three years to demonstrate to Nigerians how the removal of the fuel subsidy makes sense.”
The exchange comes as political parties and opposition figures intensify their positions ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with the impact of the fuel subsidy removal remaining a major issue in the political debate.
