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Tinubu’s Promise to Remove Fuel Subsidy Indictment on Buhari, Says Atiku, Promises to End Petrol Queues

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3 years ago

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The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has promised Nigerians that they would not spend 2023 Christmas queuing for petrol at filling stations, if they elect him as President in 2023.
The special assistant to Atiku on public communication, Phrank Shaibu, made the revelation in his Christmas message issued in Abuja on Christmas Eve.
He said, “Atiku Abubakar hereby promises Nigerians that this will be their last Christmas that will be spent at a filling station queuing for petrol. Voting APC in February will be a reinforcement of failure which could push Nigeria into an existential crisis. To Nigerians, we say the ability to change your destiny lies in your hands. Merry Christmas.
“With the fuel scarcity now continuing till December, the government has run out of excuses even as most Nigerians are now at the mercy of black marketers who sell petrol as high as N500 per litre. The NNPC which is the sole importer of petrol has failed to live up to its duties, clear evidence that its privatisation is merely cosmetic.
“But the biggest culprit in this mess is President Muhammadu Buhari who is the minister of petroleum. It is saddening that he has failed to bring succour to Nigerians who are suffering from the worsening inflation, unemployment and insecurity.
“It is disheartening that a country that claims to spend $40m daily on petrol subsidy cannot still make the product available to its people. This is clear evidence that the monies are going into private pockets ahead of elections at the expense of Nigerians.
“The APC which is running for a third term through the person of  Bola Ahmed Tinubu is now promising renewed hope after dashing the hopes of millions of Nigerians for the last eight years.
“It is exasperating that Tinubu is promising to remove petrol subsidy when his party has retained it for the last seven years and spent billions of dollars subsidising criminality. It is obvious that Tinubu’s statement is an indictment on Buhari.
“Nigerians have suffered too much in these last seven years . A country which has been unable to meet its OPEC quota at a time of oil boom is now witnessing an unprecedented petrol scarcity that has brought economic activities to its knees across the country.”
He continued, “The regime of the All Progressives Congress had set a new record of the longest petrol scarcity in the history of Nigeria.
“The petrol scarcity started in January 2022 on account of the importation of dirty petrol high in methanol, with the
Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, Mele Kyari, explaining at the time that the petrol was brought in from Belgium.
“The House of Representatives led by Femi Gbajabiamila, opened a probe into the matter but nothing has been heard about the investigation till date. This is not surprising since it is an APC affair.”
Based on estimates from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, the media reported that NNPC may have spent about N201 billion worth of clean Premium Motor Spirit (petrol), to clean the 170.25 million litres of dirty petrol.
After a few weeks of respite, the petrol scarcity continued yet again in May as oil marketers complained about the outstanding payment of bridging claims incurred by dealers for the transportation of petroleum products across the country.
The NNPC claimed the queues in Abuja and most parts of the North were caused by panic buying.
The scarcity stretched into September with the NNPC claiming that the floods in Kogi and other states had prevented truck drivers from coming up north. In November the government again claimed that the petrol scarcity was caused by the road repairs in Lagos and the inability of truck drivers to move products timely.
The Punch
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Atiku Visits Rotimi Amaechi in Abuja for Unity Talks After ADC Primaries

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2 hours ago

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May 28, 2026

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Following his victory at the presidential primary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, on Thursday visited former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi at his residence in Abuja in a bid to unify the party after a contentious primary election.

Atiku was accompanied by notable party figures, including Senator Aminu Tambuwal and Chief Ralph Nwosu, among other leaders, for what sources described as strategic consultations aimed at strengthening the opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The visit comes shortly after Atiku was declared the winner of the ADC presidential primary, polling significantly ahead of Amaechi and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.

Both Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen have rejected the results, alleging irregularities, voter disenfranchisement, and manipulation.

Videos and photos circulating on social media show Atiku and his delegation at Amaechi’s residence, signaling an effort to mend fences and bring key stakeholders on board.

This is not the first meeting between the two politicians. Atiku had previously visited Amaechi in April, describing him as a “statesman” whose service to the nation remains impactful. Atiku also described Amaechi as a brother and fellow patriot in a birthday message on Wednesday.

Political analysts view the latest engagement as a critical step towards party cohesion, especially as the ADC positions itself as a formidable alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next election cycle.

No official statement of the meeting has been released yet.

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Trump Orders Pentagon to Protect Nigerian Christians Under ISIS attack

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8 hours ago

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May 28, 2026

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US President, Donald Trump, has ordered the Pentagon – headquarters of the United States Department of Defense – to prioritize the protection of Christians targeted by ISIS terrorists in Nigeria.

U.S. Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, disclosed this on Wednesday while stressing that the mission has quietly led to the killing of ISIS’ second-in-command in Nigeria.

Speaking during a cabinet meeting chaired by President Trump at the White House, Hegseth said:

“To give you a sense of how committed this president is (referring to President Trump), maybe, a year ago, he heard the call of Nigerian Christians who are being targeted and killed by ISIS in Nigeria.

“He said, Pete, I want the war department to focus on ensuring that we do whatever we can to protect those Christians”.

He further said: “Partnerships like that can take some time behind the scenes, but he never wavered on it. We got the assets there over the last month. There has not been much coverage of this”.

He added that U.S. intelligence gathered during the operation helped lead to the deaths of “hundreds” of ISIS fighters tied to attacks on Christians and threats against the U.S. homeland.

“We killed ISIS’ number two in Nigeria, who is most responsible for killing Christians and trying to target U.S. homeland.

“There’s a lot of things we do that the media pays attention to, and a lot of things that the president empowers the Department to do on behalf of the American people, that he deserves great credit for,” Hegseth concluded.

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I Can’t Be Intimidated, VeryDarkMan Tells Presidency over Alleged Tinubu Viral Audio

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8 hours ago

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May 28, 2026

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Controversial social media activist, Martins Vincent Otse aka VeryDarkMan (VDM), has reacted strongly to allegations surrounding the circulation of an alleged audio involving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

VDM spoke in a lengthy video posted on social media after comments credited to presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, accused him of disseminating a fake audio related to the President.

In the video, VDM claimed he began receiving several calls warning him not to return to Nigeria following the controversy surrounding the audio clip.

According to him, some associates advised him to remain abroad over fears that he could be arrested upon his return to the country.

Reacting to the development, VDM denied any wrongdoing and insisted that he had the constitutional right to criticise the government and comment on national issues.

He accused government officials of paying more attention to critics on social media instead of addressing pressing security challenges confronting the country.

The activist also criticised the Federal government over insecurity, kidnappings and economic hardship, arguing that Nigerians were facing difficult living conditions across the country.

VDM further alleged that some individuals were attempting to create a narrative to justify possible actions against him because of his criticism of the administration.

He maintained that he would continue speaking on issues affecting Nigerians, particularly insecurity and governance.

During the emotional video, the social commentator repeatedly questioned why government officials were allegedly more vocal about online controversies than incidents of bandit attacks and kidnappings.

He also urged Nigerians to participate actively in the 2027 general elections, insisting that citizens must make decisions based on the performance of political leaders.

The controversy followed comments attributed to Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, who reportedly stated that VDM should “face the weight of the law” over the alleged circulation of fake audio involving the President.

As of the time of filing this report, there was no official confirmation from security agencies regarding any planned action against the activist.

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