… Slams Tinubu Over CNG Promise
Former Vice President of Nigeria and Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has insisted that his targeted subsidy plan would ensure the production of cheaper fuel, which will lead to cheaper transport fares.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu, in a statement on Thursday, said that because “cheaper fuel must mean cheaper transport fares,” he had reached an agreement with state governors to “cut transport fares nationwide” by leveraging CNG and electric vehicles.
Atiku, in a statement by his Media Office on Friday, faulted Tinubu’s proposal, describing it as another ‘Animal Farm’ promise.
He maintained that his proposed innovative subsidy would not only ensure the production of cheaper fuel but would also reduce the cost of transportation and food. Additionally, he said it would support Nigerian production, protect consumers, and put more purchasing power in Nigerians’ hands.
Conversely, the ADC Presidential candidate said Tinubu’s plan to work with state governors by leveraging CNG and electric vehicles raises more questions than it answers.
He asked: Is the government announcing a fully operational program, or merely announcing a target for a program whose implementation framework is still being developed?
He noted that while President Tinubu has said that the Federal Government and state governors have agreed to begin implementing measures aimed at reducing transport fares, with the goal of Nigerians benefiting from lower fares from October 1, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, in its communiqué following its meeting on August 26, said that the proposed National Affordable CNG Transit Programme still requires further consideration of its financing and implementation framework.
Governor Douye Diri also indicated that the implementation timeline would be worked out with stakeholders. “That means Nigerians deserve clarity. What exactly will be operational on October 1?” he queried.
“The government says more than 120,000 vehicles have already been converted to CNG and that additional conversion kits are being deployed. But Nigerians need more than a headline figure.
“It is pertinent to know how many of those vehicles are commercial passenger vehicles. How many are currently operating on CNG every day? How many passengers are actually benefiting from reduced fares?
“And in which states and on which routes? These are the figures that matter.”
The Waziri Adamawa pointed out that “a station that has been announced, ordered or planned is not the same as a station that is operational, supplied and accessible to commercial transport operators.”
According to him, the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) government should therefore publish the locations, status and commissioning timetable of these stations.
Most importantly, he said, there must be a transparent system for ensuring that the savings reach commuters.“If the government supports vehicle conversion, provides financing, supplies fleets, or subsidizes infrastructure, then participating operators should have clearly defined fare obligations.
“There should be: a published baseline fare; a published reduced fare; identified routes and participating operators; transparent details of government support; a clear implementation timetable; and an enforcement mechanism for operators who receive public support but fail to pass the savings to passengers.”
The former Vice President observed that the Tinubu government’s own previous CNG experience demonstrates that enforcement matters.
He recalled that in 2025, the Federal Government announced a 40 percent fare reduction on CNG-serviced routes in Abuja and deployed a task force to monitor compliance. Yet reports at the time also highlighted problems with CNG availability and with converted vehicles’ ability to access adequate supplies.
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