Fuel Subsidy: Atiku slams Tinubu, calls president derogatory name for inflicting pain on Nigerians

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, on Thursday, mocked President Bola Tinubu over the president’s handling of the fuel subsidy removal.

Atiku, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate who lost to President Tinubu in the 2023 election called Mr Tinubu “T-Pain”, a veiled reference to the pain Nigerians are going through as a result of the president’s economic policies.

The nickname, coined by a China-based schoolteacher and social media critic, Dan Bello, is used to mock the president for some of the hardships caused by his administration’s policies.

In the past couple of months, Mr Bello has released several parody videos to mock the president, using derogatory names such as “Tulumbu, T-Pain” and others.

The names have become very popular, particularly on X.

However, there is a possibility that Mr Tinubu, who claims not to check social media, has not seen the names given to him.

Atiku, in a post on his verified X account, has now popularised the use of the president’s nickname.

In the post, Atiku criticised the president for what he called a “haphazard and disingenuous approach” to managing the subsidy removal.

“The haphazard and disingenuous approach of the current administration to fuel subsidy management has been the reason we are in this current economic crisis.

“As things stand, there will be no let-up in the escalating inflation rate, which is drowning the material well-being of Nigerians. It is even more worrying that T-Pain is undisturbed by the hardship in the country,” the post read.

Fuel Subsidy Removal

During the presidential campaign last year, Atiku also promised to remove the petroleum subsidy regime if elected. Similarly, Peter Obi, the Labour Party candidate, pledged to remove the scheme if elected.

However, Mr Tinubu has faced criticism over how he announced the end of the petroleum subsidy, declaring “fuel subsidy is gone” at his inauguration as president on 29 May 2023.

Since the announcement, the cost of petrol has risen from less than N200 per litre to over N1,000 per litre, leading to high inflation, which has significantly increased the cost of living.

Mr Tinubu, currently in the UK on vacation, also faces criticism over his government’s extravagant spending amid the economic hardship in the country.

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The government’s decisions to spend $100 million on a new presidential jet, N21 billion on the construction of a residential building for the vice president, and the purchase of luxury vehicles for government officials have been described by many as insensitive.

However, the president, officials of his administration and some members of the National Assembly repeatedly tell Nigerians to be patient, saying the reforms would yield positive results in the end.