Fuel Subsidy: Kwankwaso Speaks on How Peter Obi-led NDC Govt Will Reintroduce Petrol Policy
- NDC vice presidential candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso said a Peter Obi presidency would reintroduce fuel subsidy in a different form
- Kwankwaso told Arise TV the party plans to bring down petrol prices through government investment in refineries
- The former Kano governor blamed Tinubu for removing subsidy on his first day in office without considering the consequences
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Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over eight years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues
FCT, Abuja - Rabiu Kwankwaso, the vice presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has said that a government led by the party's presidential candidate, Peter Obi, would restore fuel subsidy but through an approach different from what Nigeria had previously operated.
Kwankwaso responded to questions about the NDC's position on the subsidy debate ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Source: Twitter
As reported by The Punch, he made the remarks in an interview on Arise TV on Tuesday, September 22, 2026.
When asked whether the party would find it difficult to campaign in the North-West given widespread calls there for subsidy restoration, Kwankwaso dismissed the concern. "No, no, no, look. We are bringing subsidy in our own way," he said.
NDC's plan to reduce petrol prices
Kwankwaso said the government could invest directly in building refineries to raise domestic fuel production and make petrol available at what he called a reasonable price.
He pointed to the Dangote refinery as evidence that private investment in the sector was already working.
"If individuals in this country could build refineries, I see no reason why government, under certain circumstances, will not build a refinery or refineries to the extent that we achieve the minimum requirement," he said.
He added: "We, in the NDC, will do whatever it takes, really, to put the price of oil down."
Fuel subsidy removal: Kwankwaso criticises Tinubu
Kwankwaso acknowledged that all three major candidates in the 2023 presidential election, including then-candidate Atiku Abubakar and President Bola Tinubu, had each campaigned on ending the fuel subsidy. His criticism was directed specifically at how Tinubu carried out the policy.
"Bola Tinubu decided to do so and removed the subsidy. And the consequences that we thought would happen, certainly happened. And not only he decided to remove the subsidy, what he did was to remove it immediately — in fact, day one — without looking at all those possible issues that were associated with that. And that's how we find ourselves in this total mess, economically," he said.
Tinubu declared the end of petrol subsidy in his inaugural address on May 29, 2023, with the now-famous phrase: "subsidy is gone."
Petrol prices rose from below N200 per litre to more than N500 in many parts of the country, pushing up transport costs and the prices of goods.
In a national broadcast in July 2023, Tinubu conceded the policy had raised living costs but argued the subsidy had become financially unsustainable and that savings would be channelled to other areas.
Kwankwaso's comments add to the range of positions opposition figures are staking out on fuel subsidy as presidential hopefuls begin to shape their economic messages ahead of 2027.
Source: Twitter
67.4% of Nigerians back petrol subsidy return
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that Atiku reacted to an SBM Intelligence survey showing 67.4% of Nigerians want petrol subsidy restored.
The survey ranked petrol as the second-most cited national problem and Tinubu's worst-rated policy, scoring 1.69 out of 4.
Atiku used the survey to push his 2027 presidential campaign promise of a transparent production subsidy for domestically refined fuel.
Source: Legit.ng
