NDC, Obi’s camp back Kwankwaso’s subsidy proposal

The Nigeria Democratic Congress and the camp of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, have backed Vice-Presidential candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso’s proposal to reintroduce fuel subsidy in a different form if elected in 2027.

They disclosed this in separate exclusive interviews with The PUNCH.

The reactions came amid renewed debate over the NDC’s position on petrol subsidy after Kwankwaso said an administration led by Obi would bring back subsidy “in our own way.”

Kwankwaso, a former Kano State governor, made the statement during an interview with Arise TV on Tuesday while discussing the fuel subsidy policy of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration and the economic hardship resulting from the removal of the subsidy.

Asked whether the NDC would face difficulties campaigning in the North-West, where there is support for the return of the subsidy, Kwankwaso said, “No, no, no, look. We are bringing subsidy in our own way.”

Explaining the proposed approach, he said the government could invest in refineries and increase domestic production to make petrol available to Nigerians at a reasonable price.

Kwankwaso also criticised the manner in which Tinubu removed the petrol subsidy shortly after assuming office, arguing that the policy was implemented immediately without adequate consideration of its consequences.

Tinubu announced the end of the petrol subsidy in his inaugural address on May 29, 2023, declaring that “subsidy is gone.” Petrol prices subsequently rose sharply, contributing to increased transport and living costs.

Obi, however, had previously said he would have removed the subsidy if elected president in 2023, but argued that the policy should have been implemented gradually and in an organised manner.

Speaking during an interview with Arise Television on June 9, Obi said, “I have consistently maintained that I would have removed the fuel subsidy. If you go to my manifesto, it is there, along with the steps I would have taken in an organised manner.

“There is nothing wrong with the removal of the fuel subsidy. What is wrong is the haphazard way in which it was announced and implemented.”

Obi also described the subsidy regime as rife with “criminality and corruption” and maintained that the system needed to be ended, while questioning how the savings from its removal were being utilised.

When asked to name one policy of the Tinubu administration that he would retain if elected president, Obi promised that he would retain the naira float policy if elected.

He said, “There’s one – the floating of the naira. I’m not going to defend it. But I’m going to put productivity to make it more valuable to the people.”

Mixed reactions have since trailed Kwankwaso’s interview, with many alleging that the position seemed to be in contradiction with earlier posture by Obi.

However, his camp believed otherwise.

His spokesman, Idris Zekeri, told The PUNCH that there was no contradiction between Obi’s position and Kwankwaso’s statement, arguing that the NDC was proposing a new approach to making petrol affordable while tackling corruption in the subsidy system.

Zekeri said the party would work with private refineries and reform the oil sector to bring down prices and redirect resources towards improving Nigerians’ lives.

He said, “It seems many people are misquoting our vice presidential candidate. What he said was that Obi’s government will return subsidy ‘in our way.’ Is it different from what was aired?

“The ultimate goal is to end the endemic corruption associated with the fuel subsidy regime. Even up to this moment, it has to be dealt with. Then we will seek a creative way to drive down the price of fuel in Nigeria so that the proceeds of the subsidy can be invested in areas that will touch the lives of Nigerians immediately.

“So, we are going to bring back subsidy in ‘our own way,’ not the one we are experiencing. We need to be creative about it. The average Nigerian needs a life that is subsidised.”

Continuing, Zekeri maintained that Obi’s position had remained consistent since 2023, when the former governor supported removing the subsidy but criticised the way it was implemented.

He also questioned the reported level of fuel consumption during the subsidy era, arguing that the system was plagued by corruption and leakages that the NDC intended to eliminate.

“Our principal, Peter Obi, is consistent with these two messages. We are going to force down the price of fuel by working with private refineries and looking at our oil sector with a view to dealing with the endemic corruption in the upstream, midstream and downstream of the industry,

“So, it is a straightforward natter. Those who are trying to twist it are clever by half. Our position has been the same, and it is consistent. Even in 2023, Obi said it is impossible at the height of subsidy that Nigeria is consuming 60 million litres of fuel in one day.

“This is because a country named Pakistan, with a huge population, more roads and a larger industrial base than us, was using a third of what we are using at the height of subsidy. So, people were apparently drinking the petrol. It is that hose we plan to remove from their mouth so we can now put those resources in the pocket and lives of Nigerians,” he stated.

When contacted, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr Yunusa Tanko, referred to Obi’s previous public statements on the matter.

He said, “Obi has addressed this issue, and they are out there in the public domain. Please work with the statement he put out.”

The NDC National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, also shared a similar sentiment.

Director told our correspondent that the party was in support of its presidential candidate and whatever policy position agreed upon by the party’s ticket.

He said, “Our party is in support of our flagbearer. Whatever they agree to do, we are in support. We have a way of outlining our position.

“The question is, are Nigerians contented and happy with the manner they are buying fuel for N1,500? Even capitalist nations subsidise for the welfare of their citizens.

“The kind of government we have here is so uncaring. It also shows they lack empathy. So what the NDC government is promising is to address the living conditions of the people and ameliorate their suffering. The NDC is ready to execute any policy that would promote it.” (Punch)