Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), says the party would reintroduce fuel subsidy in a different form if elected in the 2027 general election.
Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State, disclosed this in an interview with Arise News, where he outlined the party’s proposed approach to reducing the cost of petrol.
“We are bringing subsidy in our own way,” he said.
According to him, the NDC would focus partly on increasing domestic refining capacity, including the possibility of government-owned refineries.
He said the government could build additional refineries to complement those being developed by private investors and help ensure that petrol is sold at what he described as a reasonable price.
“We in the NDC will do whatever it takes really to put the price of oil down,” Kwankwaso said.
Kwankwaso also criticised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to remove the petrol subsidy shortly after assuming office in May 2023.
He said the three major presidential candidates in the 2023 election had campaigned on plans to remove the subsidy, but argued that the timing and manner of the implementation contributed to the economic difficulties Nigerians have faced since then.
“In 2023, during the campaigns, I remember the three of them. All of them said they would remove subsidy,” he said.
Kwankwaso said Tinubu’s decision to remove the subsidy immediately after taking office failed to adequately account for the potential consequences.
“And that’s how we find ourselves in this total mess economically. Now, everybody realises that it was a mistake,” he said.
Kwankwaso also criticised Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, over his position on fuel subsidy.
He accused Atiku of making the pledge to remove the subsidy for political reasons and questioned how the policy would be implemented.
Kwankwaso said Atiku had previously expressed a different position on the issue and argued that his current promise was aimed at appealing to Nigerians facing economic pressure.
“But you see, what Wazirin Adamawa did was just to play politics. I don’t think he meant what he said,” Kwankwaso said.
He added that Atiku had not explained how he intended to implement the policy.
The debate over fuel subsidy has remained a major issue in Nigeria’s economic and political discourse, particularly over its impact on petrol prices, government spending, domestic refining and household costs.
