OBI WILL RESTORE FUEL SUBSIDY IN ‘DIFFERENT FORM’ — KWANKWASO
Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), speaks after being affirmed as the party's flag bearer during the NDC Special Convention in Abuja on May 30, 2026. (Photo by Light Oriye Tamunotonye / AFP via Getty Images)
Vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has said a government led by the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, would reintroduce fuel subsidy through a different approach if elected in 2027.
Kwankwaso made the statement during an interview with Arise TV while discussing petrol pricing and the fuel subsidy policy of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.
Asked how the NDC would address calls for cheaper petrol, particularly in the North-West, Kwankwaso said the party would introduce its own form of subsidy.
He explained that one of the approaches would involve greater government investment in domestic refining, including the possibility of establishing additional government-owned refineries to increase local production and reduce pressure on petrol prices.
According to Kwankwaso, the objective would be to ensure that Nigerians can purchase petrol at what he described as a reasonable price. He said the NDC would pursue measures aimed at reducing the cost of petroleum products for consumers.
Kwankwaso also criticised the manner in which the Tinubu administration removed the petrol subsidy shortly after taking office in May 2023. He argued that the policy was implemented immediately without adequately addressing the consequences.
The comments come as fuel pricing and the future of subsidy remain key issues in political discussions ahead of the 2027 general election, with political parties proposing different approaches to reducing the cost of petrol.
