Rabiu Kwankwaso, vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has said a Peter Obi-led government would bring back fuel subsidy in a different form.
Kwankwaso made the comment during an Arise TV interview on Tuesday while discussing petrol prices and the 2027 election.
“We are bringing subsidy in our own way,” he said, adding that government could support private and public refineries to increase local production and lower fuel prices.
He also criticised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to remove the subsidy on May 29, 2023, saying it was done without enough preparation and contributed to what he called a “total mess economically.”
However, Obi has maintained that Nigeria should not return to the old subsidy system. Speaking at the Nigerian Bar Association conference in Port Harcourt in August, he said: “I subscribe and maintain that you need to remove subsidy. Mismanagement of the proceeds shouldn’t be the reason for not removing it.”
Obi has argued that savings from subsidy removal should go into healthcare, education, agriculture and other key areas.
The differing positions have raised concerns about the NDC ticket.
Economist Dr Samson Simon warned that Obi and Kwankwaso could face leadership clashes if elected, while analyst Nduka Odo said they must agree on a clear position.
“You cannot be running on the same ticket and be sending different signals on an issue as sensitive as fuel subsidy,” Odo said.
