No doubt, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is becoming increasingly popular inside US halls of powers. In a statement issued yesterday by his spokesman Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the American President Donald Trump supported his plan to remove fuel subsidy if elected next year.
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Tagged ‘Atiku boasts of stakeholders, Trump support on fuel subsidy’, the statement suggested that the Presidential candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC) is likely to model Nigeria’s economic policies after the America’s.
“This is why my Production Subsidy is about putting money back into people’s pockets. Support what we produce and refine here, increase supply, monitor the price and make sure Nigerians feel the benefit at the pump.
“CORAN is saying support domestic production. America understands the importance of supporting strategic energy production,” the statement read in part.
Then Atiku went ahead to launch attacks on President Bola Tinubu, accusing his administration of shortchanging the happiness of the ordinary Nigerians with granting favours to wealthy multinational corporations.
“Yet Tinubu attacks relief for ordinary Nigerians while his government understands perfectly well how to grant waivers, incentives and concessions to multinational oil companies and businesses close to his administration.
“So why does intervention suddenly become bad economics when ordinary Nigerians are meant to benefit?”
Atiku’s association with US lobbying firm Von Batten-Montague-York has significantly promoted both his candidacy at home and his reputation abroad. He, no more Mr Peter Obi, is now widely believed to be the serious challenger in the coming presidential election.
The Adamawa-born politician is a serial presidential candidate. In his last bid in 2023, he notably made poor outings following his inability to sew his party together as Nyesom Wike focused in tearing the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to pieces.