BY AHMED AKANBI
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has said its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, would channel funds saved from fuel subsidy removal directly into Nigerians’ welfare instead of allowing the resources to be controlled by state governors.
The party’s Director of New Media and Strategic Communications, Theo Abu Agada, disclosed this while reacting to renewed debate on subsidy ahead of the 2027 general election.
Agada said Obi has consistently supported subsidy removal and deregulation, but insisted the key issue is transparent management of savings from the policy.
His comments followed a proposal by African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to restore fuel subsidy if elected in 2027.
President Bola Tinubu announced subsidy removal on May 29, 2023, a decision that has continued to fuel economic and political debate.
“For Peter Obi and many of us who have, since 2012, advocated for the removal of the subsidy and the deregulation of the downstream sector, the policy position has always been the transparent management of the subsidy regime,” Agada said in a post on X.
He said an Obi administration would deploy the savings to improve healthcare, transport infrastructure, education and other job-creating sectors.
Agada also criticised what he called the diversion of subsidy savings to political office holders, saying “the resources should benefit ordinary Nigerians rather than governors or other political actors.”
He further questioned Atiku’s current position, recalling that the former vice president had previously supported subsidy removal.