The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has rejected former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal to restore fuel subsidy, saying he would instead address poverty in Northern Nigeria through investment in agriculture, education, healthcare and skills development.
Obi stated this on Thursday during an exclusive interview with ARISE NEWS, where he explained why Nigerians, particularly voters in the North, should support his position against a return to fuel subsidy.
The former Anambra State governor said the North possessed significant agricultural potential which, if properly developed, could create jobs, improve livelihoods and reduce poverty.
“I’ve said it before and I’ll repeat it again. If there’s one president in the North who celebrates, it’s me,” Obi said.
He said his administration would focus on addressing the root causes of poverty in the region rather than relying on fuel subsidy.
“I will deal with the issue of poverty the way it’s not been there before. And in a non-corrupt way, where they will see it,” he said.
According to Obi, agriculture would be central to his proposed development strategy for the North.
“The North has an asset. Nobody in this country, none of us, can say they have. I will deal with that asset. And that asset is agriculture. We’ll invest in it,” he said.
He also pledged greater investment in education, healthcare and skills development, while promising to support efforts to revive manufacturing activities in the region.
Obi cited Kano as an example, saying several industrial areas that once hosted factories had experienced decline.
“I’ll make sure they are bringing all those manufacturing activities that we lost. Today, if you go to Kano, there are factories in Bombay, Sharada 1, Sharada 2 that are gone. I will deal with the North in such a way that they will see it,” he said.
On the broader impact of fuel prices, Obi said his proposed approach would seek to moderate prices across the country rather than provide a subsidy.
He argued that poverty in Northern Nigeria could not be attributed solely to the removal of fuel subsidy, saying other structural problems also contributed to the situation.
Obi also criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu, saying it had performed poorly in areas including transparency and government expenditure.
“I think if you ask the people, but if you ask me, they’ve not done well. They’ve been a bit reckless in what they’re doing,” he said.
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Asked why he believed Tinubu was not fully in control of his administration, Obi pointed to what he described as developments surrounding the government and public discourse.
The NDC candidate also reiterated his position that government should prioritise repairing existing infrastructure before embarking on new projects.
He said his administration would not prioritise the construction of new government buildings, guest houses or presidential extensions while existing infrastructure remained in need of attention.
“In fact, no new building. No new roads. No. Until we fix the existing roads,” Obi said.
He clarified that his position did not mean Nigeria would permanently stop constructing new roads, but that existing infrastructure would receive priority.
“We’ll fix the existing ones. Before the new ones,” he said.
Obi further said he would seek to reduce government expenditure by beginning with the presidency, arguing that Nigeria’s leaders should spend their holidays within the country.
“That will start from me. Nigerian president must spend his vacation in Nigeria,” he said.
He described the practice of Nigerian leaders travelling abroad for holidays as unsustainable, stressing that government should lead by example in reducing unnecessary expenditure.
Obi’s comments come as political parties and presidential candidates intensify their preparations and policy debates ahead of the 2027 general elections, with fuel prices, poverty, infrastructure and government spending expected to remain major campaign issues.