Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has reaffirmed his support for petrol subsidy removal, saying poor management of the savings should not justify its return.
Obi spoke on Monday, August 24, 2026, at the Nigerian Bar Association’s 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The former Anambra State governor said subsidy removal was necessary but faulted the handling of the resources generated by the policy.
He said the government should have cushioned the impact on Nigerians and invested the savings in productive sectors.
Obi added that he had advocated an organised subsidy removal during the 2023 presidential campaign, with the proceeds properly invested for public benefit.
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His comments came amid renewed debate over the policy ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has pledged to restore petrol subsidy if elected, putting him at odds with Obi.
President Bola Tinubu announced the end of petrol subsidy on May 29, 2023, triggering a sharp rise in petrol prices and increased pressure on household and transport costs.
The issue previously sparked nationwide protests in January 2012, when the Goodluck Jonathan administration attempted to remove the subsidy.
The government later partially reversed the decision and introduced the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) to fund infrastructure and social programmes.
More than a decade later, subsidy remains a major political and economic issue, with debate increasingly focused on how savings from its removal should be managed.
Obi’s latest position is clear: the subsidy should stay abolished, but the savings must be transparently and productively deployed.