Atiku Challenges Tinubu to Show Evidence of Promised Transport Fare Reduction

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to provide evidence that Nigerians are benefiting from the transportation fare reductions promised to take effect from October 1.

Atiku made the demand in his Independence Day message on Thursday, shortly after President Tinubu addressed Nigerians in a nationwide broadcast to mark the country’s 66th Independence Anniversary.

In his statement, Atiku questioned whether the President’s earlier promise of measurable reductions in transportation costs had been fulfilled.

“Before I forget, you promised Nigerians lower transport fares from October 1st. Today is October 1st. Did your promise materialize?” Atiku asked.

The ADC candidate also criticised Tinubu for referring to his proposal on reducing the cost of living during the Independence Day address without, according to him, providing specific information about the promised transport fare reductions.

Atiku said Nigerians needed to know which routes had recorded reductions, the fares charged before the intervention, the new prices and the number of commuters expected to benefit.

He acknowledged that cheaper fares on selected routes would provide some relief but argued that reductions limited to a few locations would not resolve the broader transportation challenges facing Nigerians.

“Lower fares on a few routes are welcome. But they do not solve the transport crisis facing the rest of the country. Absolutely not,” he said.

Atiku further questioned whether the October 1 target was connected to his own proposal for a production subsidy, asking the President to demonstrate that the promised relief had actually reached commuters.

He called on the Federal Government to publish details of the affected routes and the corresponding fare reductions so that Nigerians could independently assess the impact of the programme.

The issue follows President Tinubu’s September 19 directive to state governments to accelerate the implementation of the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme ahead of October 1. The President said the Federal Government and the 36 state governors had agreed that more Nigerians should begin to experience measurable reductions in transportation costs from the date.

Tinubu said an implementation committee had been established under the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, chaired by Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. The committee was tasked with working with the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles (PI-CNG & EV), state governments and other stakeholders to identify priority transport corridors and determine the interventions required.

The President also cited examples of lower transport costs already recorded through CNG and electric-powered transport services in some states.

According to Tinubu, commuters in Borno were paying between ₦50 and ₦100 on some CNG and electric transport routes where commercial operators charged between ₦300 and ₦600. He also cited fare reductions in Abuja, Enugu, Adamawa, Niger and other states.

However, reports on October 1 indicate that transportation costs remain high in some parts of the country, with limited CNG infrastructure and other implementation challenges affecting the wider rollout of cheaper transport.

In his Independence Day address, Tinubu reiterated that reducing the cost of living remained a priority for his administration. He said the government intended to achieve this partly by lowering the cost of producing and transporting goods and by expanding infrastructure and economic opportunities.

Atiku, meanwhile, used his Independence Day message to outline his own economic proposals.

The former vice president said an ADC administration would prioritise measures aimed at making essential goods and services more affordable. He proposed a capped and budgeted production subsidy tied to verified fuel refined domestically, including output from modular refineries, while excluding imported petrol.

He said such a subsidy would be documented publicly and subjected to independent auditing, with the intended benefit passed on to consumers through lower fuel prices.

Atiku also raised concerns about Nigeria’s public debt, citing a figure of N166.79 trillion as of the end of June, and called for greater transparency before the government takes on additional borrowing.

He said any new borrowing should be accompanied by clear information about the projects involved, their costs, beneficiaries and payments made.

The ADC candidate further stated that his proposed administration would place affordability and the protection of lives at the centre of government policy, with measures targeting the cost of food, fuel and electricity while improving access to healthcare and education.

He also pledged to support the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the prompt publication of polling-unit results.