Obi Rejects Atiku’s Plan to Restore Fuel Subsidy

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), has rejected former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal to restore petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027.

Obi said removing the subsidy was necessary but faulted the Federal Government for failing to manage and invest the funds saved from the policy properly. He argued that poor handling of the proceeds should not be used as a reason to reverse the decision.

The former Anambra State governor made his position known at the Nigerian Bar Association conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where several presidential candidates and political figures discussed major issues ahead of the 2027 election.

The disagreement followed Atiku’s recent announcement that he would bring back petrol subsidy if elected president. The former vice president, who supported subsidy removal during the 2023 presidential election, has since changed his position and argued that a new approach is needed to make petrol more affordable for Nigerians.

Obi, however, said his position on subsidy removal had remained consistent. He maintained that the policy should have been implemented in a well-planned manner, with the savings redirected into areas that would reduce the effect of higher fuel prices on households and businesses.

He said his 2023 manifesto had already provided a plan for removing subsidy and using the money recovered from the process for productive purposes.

According to him, the problem Nigerians are facing is not simply the removal of subsidy but the failure to properly account for and use the resources that became available after the policy was discontinued.

President Bola Tinubu announced the removal of petrol subsidy during his inauguration on May 29, 2023. The decision led to a sharp rise in fuel prices and increased pressure on the cost of transportation, food, goods and services across the country.

The subsidy debate was one of several issues discussed by presidential hopefuls at the NBA conference, with candidates presenting different approaches to Nigeria’s economic and security problems.

Former Rivers State Governor and ADC vice-presidential candidate Rotimi Amaechi said Nigeria needed to focus on creating jobs, increasing local production and improving the purchasing power of citizens.

Amaechi said his proposed administration with Atiku would pursue policies aimed at strengthening the economy and improving the living conditions of Nigerians. He also pointed to projects executed during his tenure as Rivers governor, including schools, health centres and roads.

The former governor further promised a broader distribution of political appointments across the country, criticising what he described as an uneven spread of appointments under the current administration.

Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, called for a change of government, arguing that the country’s security problems could not be solved under the existing leadership.

Sowore also maintained his long-standing opposition to the way petrol subsidy had been operated in Nigeria. He argued that the old system mainly benefited powerful groups rather than ordinary Nigerians and questioned who actually received the benefits of the subsidy.

The security crisis also featured prominently during the conference, with candidates offering different ideas on how to deal with terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other threats.

Sowore and the Social Democratic Party presidential candidate, Adewale Adebayo, called for a change in leadership as part of the solution to Nigeria’s security problems.

Adebayo, however, proposed a different approach to policing. He supported a three-level policing system involving the federal, state and local governments, arguing that security responsibilities should not remain concentrated at the centre.

Former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke said the country’s major problem remained leadership. He argued that improving the quality of leadership would have a wider effect on the economy, security and other areas of national development.

Duke also criticised the role of ethnicity in Nigerian politics and called for reforms that would strengthen the country’s presidential system.

The debate came as the Chief of Staff to President Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, defended the Federal Government’s move towards establishing state police.

Gbajabiamila said the administration was addressing an issue that previous governments had avoided and argued that the current centralised policing structure was no longer sufficient to deal with the country’s security challenges.

He said the proposed system would require clear safeguards to prevent abuse and ensure that state police officers operate within the law.

The presidential aide also raised concerns about the shortage of police personnel in the country. He said Nigeria currently has roughly one police officer for about 650 people, compared with an international standard of around one officer for every 450 people.

He added that the shortage was made worse by the large number of officers assigned to administrative duties, personal security and other responsibilities instead of regular policing.

Gbajabiamila said improving recruitment, training and professionalism would be important to the success of any new policing structure.

He also addressed concerns that state governors could use state police to target political opponents. According to him, the proposed system must contain safeguards to prevent governors from directing the arrest or harassment of people for political reasons.

He further argued that police officers should be protected when they refuse to carry out unlawful instructions and that such protection must be supported by strong institutions.

The exchanges at the NBA conference provided an early look at the different positions presidential contenders are likely to take as the 2027 election approaches. Fuel pricing, economic management, security and policing are expected to remain major issues in the campaign as political parties prepare to present their plans to voters.