Subsidy Row: ADC Chides Presidency Over Alleged N19.1trn Bill for Atiku’s Alternative Fuel Plan

A closer look at the data presented by the presidency reveals deep contradictions, according to energy analysts and opposition stalwarts. The ADC points out that the N19.1 trillion figure is predicated on daily petrol consumption metrics that have long been disputed. For years, independent investigations have suggested that Nigeria's daily PMS consumption figures were inflated due to cross-border smuggling and lack of digital tracking at depot stations.

Furthermore, the opposition argues that if the government curbed systemic leakages, broke the monopoly of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and fully operationalized local refining capacities—including the Dangote Refinery and struggling state-owned refineries—the landing cost of petrol would drastically reduce. Under such a streamlined system, a targeted subsidy or price-equalization mechanism would not require a fraction of the astronomical sum claimed by the presidency.

"To project a N19.1 trillion bill is to admit that the government has no control over fuel smuggling, currency manipulation, or NNPCL's opaque balance sheets. You cannot use the failure of state regulatory agencies to justify starving the masses," the ADC stated.

This statistical tug-of-war highlights the persistent lack of transparency in Nigeria's oil sector. While the presidency insists that subsidy removal has saved the federation from imminent collapse, critics point to the spiraling inflation, weakened naira, and diminished purchasing power as evidence of a poorly executed transition policy.