The Chief Promoter of the Alternative Movement, Otunba Segun Showunmi, has criticised African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar’s proposal to restore petrol subsidy if elected in 2027.

Showunmi spoke on Saturday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, during a sensitisation and mobilisation programme for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid. His comments came after Atiku reaffirmed his plan to introduce a subsidy intervention focused on locally refined petroleum products.

Showunmi argued that Nigeria had operated petrol subsidy for decades without achieving the desired results, and said returning to the policy would amount to moving the country backwards.

He cited the period since 1973 as evidence of what he described as the shortcomings of the subsidy regime, while also pointing to the failure to rehabilitate government-owned refineries over the years.

Showunmi said he had spent the past year defending the economic policies of the Tinubu administration, arguing that government revenues had improved across the federal, state and local government levels.

He also called for continuity in governance, saying economic policies required sufficient time to produce results and that frequent changes in leadership could disrupt long-term plans.

Showunmi disclosed that he had begun grassroots mobilisation for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election, including organising supporters at the polling-unit level.

He said the mobilisation would extend to the six local government areas in Ogun Central, stressing that his political activities would focus on grassroots engagement rather than social media and television.

On opposition to Tinubu from politicians in the South, Showunmi said he was not concerned, dismissing the chances of those seeking to challenge the president in the 2027 election.

He also appealed to Yoruba voters to support Tinubu, urging the South-West to produce substantial votes for the president in the election.