Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has cited a recent SBM Intelligence survey as evidence of growing demand for relief from high petrol and living costs.
He said 67.4 per cent of respondents favoured restoring petrol subsidy.
Atiku, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said the survey showed that petrol was the second-most cited national concern and the worst-rated policy issue of the administration, with a score of 1.69 out of four.
He said the findings reflected the impact of high fuel and transportation costs on households, workers, farmers and businesses, arguing that the government should respond to the concerns raised by the survey.
According to him, petrol was identified as the primary concern by 32.4 per cent of rural respondents, compared with 11.7 per cent of urban respondents.
He also cited figures of 30.5 per cent in the Southwest and 29.1 per cent in the Southsouth.
Atiku said the findings reinforced his opposition to the removal of petrol subsidy without what he described as adequate measures to protect household incomes, transportation and domestic production.
He said his proposed alternative would not restore the former subsidy regime but introduce a transparent production subsidy for petroleum products refined in Nigeria and sold domestically.
Under the proposal, he said imported products would not qualify, while the scheme would have a fixed spending limit, National Assembly approval and independent audits.
Atiku said the objective would be to reduce fuel costs, support domestic refining, create jobs and improve purchasing power.
He also called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to provide immediate relief to Nigerians, arguing that economic reforms should ultimately be measured by their impact on living standards.