Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has launched a sharp rebuke against President Bola Tinubu’s Senior Advisor on Digital and New Media, O’tega Ogra, over what he described as manufactured figures attached to his production subsidy proposal. The African Democratic Congress presidential candidate insists Ogra is misrepresenting his policy recommendation for local refineries.
What exactly did Ogra claim? The presidential aide argued that Nigeria had already tried production subsis to local refineries during the Obasanjo administration when Atiku served as vice president. He cited IMF data showing NNPC’s domestic crude allocation rose to 445,000 barrels daily by 2002, with revenue forgone estimated at 3.2% of GDP that year.
Atiku wasn’t having it. Through his media aide Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president drew a clear distinction between old pricing arrangements and his current proposal. He emphasized that his plan is specific, with support tied exclusively to fuel refined within Nigeria, capped budgets subject to appropriation, and strict monitoring against abuse.
The statement called out Ogra’s N21.9 trillion annual bill projection as pure invention. Atiku’s team described it as “political fan fiction with a calculator,” challenging the presidential aide to stop creating price tags and attributing them to proposals he never made.
The dispute highlights deeper tensions over Nigeria’s energy policy direction as fuel prices continue biting ordinary citizens. Atiku’s core argument remains straightforward: local refining creates jobs and uses targeted support to make energy affordable for Nigerians.
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