Fuel Subsidy War: Hashim Takes Fresh Swipe At Atiku, Says ‘Don’t Pretend

The presidential candidate of the Accord Party, Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his reported shift in position on the removal of fuel subsidy ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Hashim called on Atiku, the 2027 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), to apologise to Nigerians for changing his stance on the policy.

He argued that politicians should be transparent about changes in their positions rather than acting as though they had never supported policies they now oppose.

Hashim made the remarks during an interview with Trust TV over the weekend, where he restated his opposition to the removal of subsidy on petroleum products.

He also called for the restoration of subsidies on petroleum and other strategically important products, arguing that such measures could help protect Nigerians and productive sectors from severe economic shocks.

According to Hashim, some politicians who supported subsidy removal during the last presidential election have now changed their positions without acknowledging or regretting their earlier stance.

He specifically described Atiku’s reversal on the issue without an accompanying apology as dishonest.

Hashim said there was nothing wrong with changing one’s position when circumstances or evidence changed, provided the person explained the reasons behind the change.

He noted that Atiku, Peter Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the Labour Party platform, and President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) all campaigned on promises to remove fuel subsidy.

However, candidates such as Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC) and Prince Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) opposed the policy.

Hashim argued that Atiku had supported subsidy removal even before Tinubu, describing the former vice president as one of the leading proponents of the policy and wholesale privatisation during the early years of the Olusegun Obasanjo administration.

He recalled that in 1999, when Atiku served as vice president and headed the administration’s economic team, the government increased petroleum prices and removed subsidy.

Hashim said he and some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) publicly opposed the decision at the time.

He listed Alhaji Iro Dan Musa, then PDP Deputy National Chairman; Harry Marshall, National Vice Chairman, South South; Abubakar Magaji, National Vice Chairman, North Central; Emmanuel Ibeshi, National Publicity Secretary; and himself, who was then Deputy National Publicity Secretary, as members of the group that addressed a press conference against the policy.

According to him, the National Assembly also passed resolutions opposing the decision, eventually forcing the executive to reverse it.

Hashim maintained that his opposition to subsidy removal had remained consistent and was not motivated by electoral considerations.

He said those who opposed the policy when it was politically unpopular should not be compared with politicians who only began expressing concern about its impact as another election approached.

The Accord Party candidate also criticised sections of the media for allegedly failing to properly scrutinise politicians whose positions change over time.

He accused some politicians of adopting ideas previously promoted by less influential figures and subsequently presenting those ideas as their own because of their stronger access to media platforms.

Hashim argued that such politicians lacked originality and accused their media supporters of failing to hold them accountable.

He further alleged that political figures could appropriate more ideas before the 2027 elections and use their greater media influence to amplify them.