The Vice-Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has said an NDC government would reintroduce fuel subsidy in a different form if elected in 2027.
Kwankwaso disclosed this during an interview with Arise News on Tuesday.
The former Kano State governor said the proposed approach would include expanding Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity to reduce petrol prices.
“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.”
Kwankwaso argued that the Federal Government could also establish refineries where necessary to meet the country’s minimum fuel requirements.
“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,” he said.
According to him, the priority would be to ensure Nigerians could buy petrol at what he described as a reasonable price.
“We in the NDC will do whatever it takes really to put the price of oil down,” he said.
Kwankwaso also criticised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to remove the petrol subsidy shortly after assuming office in 2023.
He argued that the policy had contributed to the economic difficulties confronting Nigerians.
“In 2023, during the campaigns, I remember the three of them. All of them said they would remove subsidy,” he said, referring to the major presidential candidates at the time.
“Among the three of them, Bola Tinubu decided to remove the subsidy.
“And the consequences that we thought would happen certainly happened.”
Kwankwaso further faulted the timing of the policy, saying the subsidy was removed without adequate consideration of its consequences.
“What he did was to remove it immediately, in fact, day one, without looking at all those possible issues that were associated with that,” he said.
“And that’s how we find ourselves in this total mess economically. Now, everybody realises that it was a mistake.”
He also criticised the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, over his position on fuel subsidy.
Kwankwaso accused the former Vice-President of using the issue for political purposes and questioned how the proposed policy would be implemented.
“But you see, what Wazirin Adamawa did was just to play politics. I don’t think he meant what he said,” Kwankwaso said.
“And secondly, really, he didn’t tell anybody how he’s going to do it.”
The renewed subsidy debate comes as political parties begin positioning their economic policies ahead of the 2027 general elections.
