Atiku Challenges Tinubu – Publish Routes and Fares Behind October 1 Transport Promise

By George Omagbemi

Former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has challenged President Bola Tinubu to publish details of the transport routes and fares covered by the Federal Government’s promised reduction in transportation costs.

Atiku issued the challenge in his Independence Day response to Tinubu, hours after the President’s nationwide broadcast on Thursday.

He questioned whether Nigerians were already benefiting from the transportation reductions Tinubu said should become measurable from October 1, asking the administration to identify the affected routes, previous fares, new fares and number of commuters benefiting.

The former vice-president acknowledged that cheaper fares on selected routes would provide relief but argued that such reductions would not by themselves resolve the wider transportation difficulties facing Nigerians.

Tinubu had announced on September 19 that the Federal Government and state governors had agreed that more Nigerians should begin experiencing measurable reductions in transportation costs from October 1 under the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme.

The President cited examples including CNG and electric-powered transport services in Borno, where he said fares ranged from ₦50 to ₦100 on routes where commercial operators charged between ₦300 and ₦600. He also listed interventions in Oyo, Kaduna, Abuja and other states.

Atiku’s challenge therefore centres on transparency and measurable implementation: which routes have actually recorded reductions, what are the new fares, and how many Nigerians are benefiting?

The exchange comes amid continuing political debate over the impact of Tinubu’s economic reforms and the administration’s strategy of using cheaper domestic gas and CNG-powered transport to reduce commuting costs.