Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has said he would restore the petrol subsidy if elected president in the 2027 general election, while eliminating what he described as corruption associated with the scheme.
Obi made the declaration during an interview with the BBC, where he explained his position on the controversial subsidy regime.
The former Anambra State governor said corruption, rather than the subsidy itself, was the major problem with the system. He maintained that his administration would address the alleged corruption while retaining the subsidy.
“From day one, I’ve talked about subsidy. I talked about corruption; corruption is the problem of subsidy,” Obi said.
Asked directly whether he would reintroduce the subsidy if elected, he replied in the affirmative.
“Yes. But remember, I have qualified it, not with the corruption that’s associated with it. I’ll remove the corruption and retain the subsidy,” he said.
Obi’s latest position differs from his stance during the 2023 presidential campaign, when he advocated the removal of the fuel subsidy and argued that the funds could be redirected to sectors such as education, healthcare and infrastructure.
His comments also come shortly after his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, said an NDC administration would reintroduce subsidy in a different form by investing in refineries and increasing domestic petroleum production.
Obi further said that tackling corruption would begin with the conduct of the President and members of his immediate family.
The NDC candidate also rejected the suggestion that he should step aside for another opposition candidate if parties agree to field a consensus candidate ahead of the 2027 election.
“We don’t need to step down. We need to do the right thing,” he said.
The debate over the future of petrol subsidy is expected to remain a major issue as political parties prepare for the 2027 general election.
