Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has pledged to restore the petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027, saying his administration would first eliminate corruption in the system.
Obi made the declaration on Monday at a town hall meeting for the Obi/Kwankwaso ticket in Sokoto, where he described corruption as the major problem undermining the subsidy regime.
Obi said, “People are talking about subsidy, but what is all about it is corruption. By removing the corruption, I assure you that we will bring back subsidy.
“The problem of Nigeria is corruption, as such, if elected, we will stop all forms of corruption in every sector.”
In a follow-up interview with the BBC on Tuesday, Obi affirmed the position when asked directly if he would bring back subsidy.
“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,” he said.
The pledge marks a U-turn from his earlier stance. During the 2023 presidential campaign and at the Nigerian Bar Association conference in Port Harcourt in August 2026, Obi had backed the removal of subsidy, arguing that funds should be redirected to education, health and infrastructure.
He said an NDC government would prioritise unity, security and education, and would deploy national resources to improve key sectors. He also pledged to connect all state capitals by rail.
The promise comes over three years after President Bola Tinubu announced “fuel subsidy is gone” on May 29, 2023. The decision pushed up pump prices and transport costs, while the Federal Government defended it as necessary for fiscal stability.
The Presidency has described calls to restore subsidy as retrogressive, warning that it would be fiscally unsustainable and discourage investment in domestic refining.
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