The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has said his administration would retain fuel subsidy if elected president in 2027, but eliminate the corruption he associates with the scheme.
Obi made the statement on Tuesday, October 6, during an interview with the BBC.
The former Anambra State governor’s position contrasts with President Bola Tinubu’s decision to remove the petrol subsidy shortly after assuming office on May 29, 2023.
The subsidy removal has remained a major issue in Nigeria’s political and economic debate, with opposition figures, including Obi and former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, repeatedly criticising aspects of the policy.
Speaking about his position on the subsidy regime, Obi said, “From day one, I’ve talked about subsidy. I talked about corruption; corruption is the problem of subsidy.”
Asked directly whether he would restore the subsidy if elected, the NDC presidential candidate answered in the affirmative but stressed that his administration would tackle the corruption he said had characterised the system.
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“Yes. But remember, I have qualified it, not with the corruption that’s associated with it. I’ll remove the corruption and retain the subsidy.”
Obi was also asked how he intended to address corruption in government.
“If you are not stealing, if you are not involved, your wife and family are not involved, you reduce it by 50 per cent,” he said.
The NDC candidate also rejected the suggestion that he would step aside if opposition parties eventually formed a coalition and selected a consensus presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 election.
Rather than withdrawing from the race, Obi said opposition politicians should focus on what he described as the right course of action.
“We don’t need to step down. We need to do the right thing,” he said.
The interview also touched on the record of the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, particularly his stance against corruption and his efforts to keep members of his family away from government affairs.
The interviewer noted that Buhari had similarly taken a position against corruption while in office.
Responding, Obi said Nigerians should not use Buhari’s approach as the basis for assessing his own proposed administration.
“Nigerians should not decide with that,” Obi stated, adding, “He was not in charge. The difference is that I’ll be in charge,” he stated, on the heels of allegations that some government officials who served under the Buhari administration are still under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.