2027: Kwankwaso Says Obi Will Bring Back Fuel Subsidy Through New Approach

Fuel subsidy is back at the centre of Nigeria’s 2027 election debate after Rabiu Kwankwaso said a government led by Peter Obi would reintroduce subsidy through a different model.

Kwankwaso, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) vice-presidential candidate, made the remarks during an interview with Arise News while discussing petrol prices and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic policies. ([Arise News][1])

Asked whether the NDC could face difficulties campaigning in the North-West because of calls for cheaper fuel, Kwankwaso said the party had its own plan. “We are bringing subsidy in our own way,” he said.

He explained that the proposed approach would include greater investment in domestic refining. Kwankwaso said the government could establish additional refineries to increase local production, reduce reliance on imported petroleum products and put downward pressure on petrol prices. ([Telegraph][2])

Kwankwaso also argued that government should be prepared to invest in refineries if private investors can successfully build them. He said the aim would be to reach sufficient domestic production capacity so Nigerians can buy petrol at what he described as a reasonable price.

“What is the minimum requirement? The minimum requirement is for the people across the country to go to the filling stations and buy fuel at a reasonable price,” Kwankwaso said. He added that the NDC would do “whatever it takes” to reduce the price of petrol.

The former Kano State governor also criticised the way Tinubu removed the petrol subsidy after taking office in 2023. Kwankwaso said the major presidential candidates in that year’s election had supported subsidy removal, but argued that Tinubu implemented the policy immediately without adequately addressing its likely consequences. ([First Daily NG][3])

The latest comments add another dimension to the fuel subsidy debate ahead of the 2027 election. While Kwankwaso described the NDC’s proposal as a form of subsidy, the details of how a future government would fund the intervention, determine petrol prices and expand refining capacity were not fully set out in the remarks reported from the interview.