Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has weighed in on Nigeria’s fuel subsidy debate, saying he supports its removal but believes it must be done in a structured and well-planned manner that protects citizens.
Obi made the clarification during an interview with Rufai Oseni, where he addressed claims that he had criticised President Bola Tinubu over the 2023 removal of fuel subsidy.
According to him, his position has never been against subsidy removal itself, but rather the approach adopted by the current administration.
“I Would Have Done It In An Organised Way” – Peter Obi
Obi explained that if he were president, he would not have announced subsidy removal abruptly on the day of inauguration.
“I didn’t criticise Tinubu for removing the subsidy. I said I would have removed it, but in an organised manner. We wouldn’t have announced it at the inauguration,” he said.
He stressed that such a major policy decision should have been preceded by consultations with key stakeholders in the petroleum sector.
Call For Planning, Transparency And Anti-corruption Drive
The former Anambra State governor said proper preparation would involve engaging industry operators and first understanding the full structure of subsidy payments before any removal is implemented.
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“I would have first sat down with operators in the industry because we know there is a lot of criminality around the subsidy,” Obi added.
He further noted that any subsidy removal policy must be backed by clarity on actual government spending and a strong anti-corruption framework to prevent leakages.
Obi also argued that reforms in the petroleum sector must be carefully structured to avoid worsening the hardship of ordinary Nigerians.
Focus On Protecting Citizens
The NDC candidate maintained that economic reforms, including subsidy removal, are necessary but must be implemented in a way that does not inflict unnecessary suffering on citizens.
He reiterated that leadership decisions must balance economic reality with social protection, insisting that policy execution is just as important as policy direction.