Olawepo-Hashim Criticises Atiku For Changing His Position On Fuel Subsidy

Presidential Candidate of the Accord Party, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has described former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the “father of subsidy removal” in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, saying his recent reversal on fuel subsidy removal deserves an explanation and an apology to Nigerians.

Olawepo-Hashim said he had consistently opposed the removal of subsidies on petroleum products and reiterated his position during an interview on Trust TV last week, where he advocated restoring subsidies on petroleum and other strategically important products as part of measures to protect citizens and productive sectors from excessive economic shocks.

According to Olawepo-Hashim, the subsequent change in position by politicians who previously advocated subsidy removal raises questions about the sincerity and originality of their new positions.

“Some candidates who campaigned in the last election to remove subsidy are now reversing themselves without even regretting their earlier display of ignorance and lack of compassion for the people.”

He specifically criticised Atiku for changing his position without acknowledging his previous advocacy for subsidy removal.

“Atiku’s recantation on subsidy removal without an apology is dishonesty. If you change your position because circumstances or evidence have changed, tell Nigerians why you changed. There is nothing wrong with changing your mind. What is wrong is pretending that you never held the position in the first place.”

He said Atiku, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Peter Obi all campaigned on subsidy removal during the 2023 presidential election, while he, Omoyele Sowore and Prince Adewole Adebayo opposed the policy.

Olawepo-Hashim argued that Atiku’s position on subsidy removal predates the Tinubu administration, describing the former vice president as one of the earliest major advocates of subsidy removal and wholesale privatisation during Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.

“The truth of the matter is that Atiku, before Tinubu, on the national political scene, has been the father of the idea of subsidy removal and wholesale privatisation in this republic, he and his so-called economic team.

“We combatted them vigorously during the early period of the Obasanjo government.”

‘We Opposed Subsidy Removal When It Was Politically Inconvenient’