“Not Practicable!” — Gov Sule Dismisses Atiku’s Plan to Restore Fuel Subsidy, Citing Logistics and Deep-Seated Corruption

Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has waded into the fierce national debate surrounding energy policy, dismissing former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s campaign promise to reintroduce the petroleum subsidy ahead of the 2027 general elections as entirely impracticable.

Governor Sule, an engineer with an extensive background in the oil and gas sector, argued that returning to the old subsidy model ignores the severe logistical and structural nightmares that plagued the downstream industry for decades. According to him, importing petroleum products under a subsidized framework invites operational bottlenecks, pointing to port draft limitations that force large vessels carrying thousands of metric tonnes of fuel to undergo costly “lightering” processes.

The governor noted that these administrative and physical delays routinely result in heavy demurrage costs, which historically served as a breeding ground for rent-seeking and financial malfeasance.

“It is not practicable to say you are going to reintroduce subsidy,” Sule stated. “Sometimes, because of the corruption with subsidy, they allow it actually to stay longer than necessary because some people make money out of that. So, the more the demurrage, the more corruption, the more some individuals have more money in their pockets.”

Sule further faulted past operational interfaces between the national oil company and private marketers, noting that overlapping importation loops created unfair arbitrage opportunities that heavily drained public treasuries.

The governor’s remarks push back directly against Atiku’s recent position that a targeted and transparently managed subsidy intervention is necessary to alleviate the severe cost-of-living pressures currently facing Nigerians. As the 2027 horizon draws closer, the viability of Nigeria’s energy framework continues to serve as a major ideological battleground between the ruling administration and opposition figures.