Atiku pledges subsidy restoration and border reopening

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar told supporters at an African Democratic Congress campaign launch in Sokoto that, if elected president in 2027, he would restore the fuel subsidy and reopen Nigeria’s land borders for trade. The pledges are campaign proposals, not enacted policies. Abubakar said reopening the borders would allow legitimate trade with neighbouring countries. He linked the proposal to economic activity and opportunities for farmers, traders, transporters and other businesses. He also pledged to address insecurity, though the campaign reports did not provide details of a security plan. On fuel, Abubakar said he would reconsider and restore the petroleum subsidy, describing it as a way to ease the effects of higher fuel prices and transport costs. The pledge follows the end of the petrol subsidy, announced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his inaugural address on May 29, 2023. The campaign reports did not set out how a restored subsidy would be funded or implemented. The Federal Government has disputed Abubakar’s assertion that Nigeria’s borders remained closed, saying several major land crossings had been reopened for trade. The campaign reports did not...