The vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, says the party will reintroduce fuel subsidy in a different form if elected in 2027.
The former Kano governor made the statement during an interview with Arise News, where he outlined the party’s proposed approach to reducing the price of petrol, including increasing domestic refining capacity.
“We are bringing subsidy in our own way,” he said.
“There are many ways. One, I can tell you now, we have a refinery built by a businessman. And I’m sure more refineries would be built.
“Now, if individuals in this country could build refineries, I see no reason why the government, under certain circumstances, will not build a refinery or refineries to the extent that we achieve the minimum requirement.
“What is the minimum requirement? The minimum requirement is for the people across the country to go to the filling stations and buy fuel at a reasonable price.
“We in the NDC will do whatever it takes really to put the price of oil down.”
Kwankwaso said the three major presidential candidates in the 2023 election had pledged to remove fuel subsidy, but criticised President Bola Tinubu for implementing the policy immediately after taking office.
According to him, the decision contributed to the economic difficulties Nigerians are experiencing.
“In 2023, during the campaigns, I remember the three of them. All of them said they would remove subsidy. In fact, before then, Atiku even added that he would sell all the four refineries to his friends,” he said.
“Among the three of them, Bola Tinubu decided to remove the subsidy. And the consequences that we thought would happen certainly happened.
“And not only did he decide to remove the subsidy, what he did was to remove it immediately, in fact, day one, without looking at all those possible issues that were associated with that.
“And that’s how we find ourselves in this total mess economically. Now, everybody realises that it was a mistake.”
Kwankwaso also criticised Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, over his position on fuel subsidy.
He alleged that Atiku was seeking to take advantage of public dissatisfaction by making a promise on subsidy removal without explaining how he would implement the policy.
“But you see, what Wazirin Adamawa did was just to play politics. I don’t think he meant what he said,” Kwankwaso said.
“That is one. And secondly, really, he didn’t tell anybody how he’s going to do it.
“But he knew people now are desperate. If you just go out there and say, ‘I’ll remove it,’ even when you said many times that you would not remove it.”