Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has challenged President Bola Tinubu to account for the funds saved from the removal of the petrol subsidy, following the renewed threat by the Academic Staff Union of Universities to embark on a nationwide strike.
Atiku argued that the looming industrial action by university lecturers contradicted the Federal Government’s justification for removing the subsidy, which was partly premised on redirecting the savings to critical sectors, including education.
The former vice-president made the demand in a statement issued on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.
ASUU, on Friday, threatened to commence a nationwide strike “within the shortest time possible” unless the Federal Government urgently addressed issues affecting the welfare of university lecturers.
The union’s National President, Chris Piwuna, said the decision followed an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council at the University of Abuja.
Piwuna accused the Federal Government and state governments of failing to fully implement the agreement reached with the union in December 2025.
The union also expressed concern over alleged delays in remitting pension contributions, cooperative deductions and check-off dues.
Reacting to the development, Atiku asked Tinubu to explain what had happened to the funds Nigerians were told would become available following the removal of the subsidy.
“If the subsidy is gone and Nigerians have paid for that decision through unprecedented hardship, then President Tinubu owes the country a simple answer: where is the money?” he asked.
According to him, Nigerians accepted the consequences of subsidy removal based on assurances that the savings would be invested in education, healthcare, infrastructure and other essential services.
Atiku said the renewed ASUU crisis suggested that the promised benefits had yet to translate into meaningful improvements in the nation’s public university system.
“The house of cards of falsehoods erected by the Tinubu administration to justify the suffering of Nigerians is collapsing before our eyes,” he said.
He added, “A government that strips citizens of relief, denies them meaningful social protection and fails to deliver the basic improvements it promised has forfeited the moral credibility to continue preaching sacrifice.”
The former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party also questioned claims that subsidy savings had resulted in increased allocations to state governments.
“Government officials repeatedly tell Nigerians that subsidy savings have translated into larger allocations to states. But if substantially more money is supposedly flowing to the states, why has the condition of public education not improved accordingly?” Atiku asked.
He said increased government revenues should be reflected in better learning environments, improved infrastructure and uninterrupted academic activities.
“You cannot boast about record allocations while students sit at home because lecturers are on strike,” he said.
“You cannot celebrate higher revenues when classrooms, laboratories, hostels and teaching facilities remain inadequate.”
Atiku also faulted the administration’s approach to student financing through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, arguing that the government had increased the cost of living and education before introducing loans to help students cope with the financial burden.
“This government removed subsidy, increased the cost of transportation, food and virtually every other necessity, and watched the cost of university education rise beyond the reach of many families,” he said.
He described the situation as “government-manufactured poverty.”
The former vice-president further accused the administration of being more inclined to provide concessions, waivers and privileges to powerful interests than to offer relief to ordinary Nigerians.
Atiku maintained that the renewed ASUU dispute exposed what he described as the failure of subsidy removal to resolve longstanding industrial disputes or produce the promised improvements in public services.
“Tinubu removed subsidy from the people, but he has not removed the threat of ASUU strikes,” he said.
“He has not resolved the crisis of unpaid obligations. He has not sufficiently expanded our universities. He has not made education more affordable. And he certainly has not removed the hardship confronting Nigerian families.”
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