Rabiu Kwankwaso, the vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has said a government led by Peter Obi would adopt a different approach to fuel subsidy in an effort to make petrol more affordable.
Kwankwaso made the remarks during an interview with Arise News while discussing fuel prices and the economic policies of the Bola Tinubu administration.
He said the NDC would consider increasing domestic refining capacity, including the possibility of government-owned refineries, to reduce dependence on imported petroleum products.
According to Kwankwaso, the objective would be to ensure that Nigerians can buy petrol at what he described as a “reasonable price.”
He said the party would introduce subsidy “in our own way,” while explaining that greater investment in local refining could be part of the approach.
Kwankwaso also criticised President Tinubu’s decision to remove petrol subsidy immediately after assuming office in 2023.
He argued that the policy should have been implemented with greater consideration for its wider economic consequences.
The former Kano State governor said the NDC would pursue measures aimed at reducing petrol prices if elected in the 2027 presidential election.
Fuel pricing and subsidy remain major issues in the 2027 political debate, with different parties and candidates proposing varying approaches to reducing the impact of petrol prices on Nigerians. Recent reports put petrol prices at about N1,400 per litre in Lagos and Abuja, with higher prices reported in some northern areas.
