Okonkwo faults Tinubu fuel subsidy timing, says N70k wage buys half tank

Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesperson for ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, told Channels Television's Sunday Politics that while fuel subsidy shouldn't exist in Nigeria, President Tinubu's removal timing is ill-conceived and worsening poverty. He stated fuel now costs N1,300 per litre, meaning filling a 100-litre vehicle tank requires N130,000—almost twice Nigeria's N70,000 minimum wage, leaving civil servants with vehicles able to afford only half a tank before covering rent, food, or medical care.

Okonkwo linked this to IMF data showing over 35 million Nigerians struggling to feed, arguing rising food and transport prices contradict official claims of decreasing inflation, which he labeled 'voodoo economics.' He maintained his position from immediately after subsidy removal that Tinubu should have reversed the policy, insisting two conditions must precede removal: saturating the fuel supply system and ending monopolistic control.

While agreeing with Atiku that subsidy shouldn't exist since oil is Nigeria's product, Okonkwo criticized the current approach as afflicting Nigerians with induced poverty through statistical polishing. With essentials becoming unaffordable for minimum wage earners, how is this fuel price reality reshaping your household budget and daily survival strategies?

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/08/24/there-shouldnt-be-fuel-subsidy-in-nigeria-kenneth-okonkwo/