Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has said he would reinstate petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027, but only after eliminating what he described as the corruption associated with the scheme.
Obi disclosed this during an interview with the BBC on Tuesday, October 6, while explaining his position on fuel subsidy and outlining his proposed approach to tackling corruption in government.
The former Anambra State governor argued that subsidy itself was not the central problem, but rather the alleged corruption that had characterised its administration.
“From day one, I’ve talked about subsidy. I talked about corruption; corruption is the problem of subsidy.”
When asked whether he would restore the subsidy if Nigerians elected him president, Obi responded in the affirmative, while stressing that his proposed policy would be different from the previous arrangement.
“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.”
The latest position represents a shift in emphasis from comments Obi made publicly in August, when he supported the removal of petrol subsidy and maintained that poor management of funds saved from the policy should not be used as an argument for reversing it.
Speaking at the 2026 Nigerian Bar Association Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Obi said the subsidy should be removed, while insisting that the money saved should have been properly deployed for the benefit of citizens.
“I subscribe and maintain that you need to remove subsidy. Mismanagement of the proceeds shouldn’t be the reason for not removing it,” Obi said at the time.
He further maintained that funds recovered from subsidy removal should be channelled into critical sectors, including healthcare and other areas capable of producing measurable improvements in the lives of Nigerians.
His subsequent comments, however, began to draw a distinction between the policy of subsidy removal and what he identified as corruption within the subsidy system.
In September, at a town hall meeting organised around the Obi-Kwankwaso presidential ticket in Sokoto State, Obi said his administration would restore the subsidy after addressing corruption in the system, Politics Nigeria earlier reported.
“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.”
His latest comments to the BBC have offered further clarification, with Obi now stating that his proposed government would retain the subsidy while attempting to eliminate the practices he believes have made the policy vulnerable to abuse.
The position comes shortly after his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, also disclosed that the NDC had developed its own approach to the subsidy question ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Kwankwaso, a former Kano State governor, made the disclosure during an interview with Arise TV in September while discussing the rising cost of petrol and the consequences of the Tinubu administration’s decision to end the subsidy.
Responding to a question on whether the NDC could encounter difficulties campaigning in the North-West because of strong public demand for cheaper petrol, Kwankwaso said the party intended to pursue a different policy.
“No, no, no. Look, we are bringing subsidy in our own way.”
According to him, one of the options being considered would involve greater investment in local refining capacity, with the aim of ensuring that petrol is supplied to Nigerians at a reasonable price.
Kwankwaso also suggested that the government could build more refineries where required, arguing that increasing domestic production would help ease pressure on pump prices.
The NDC vice-presidential candidate said the broader objective would be to make it possible for Nigerians to purchase petrol at affordable rates at filling stations.
The controversy surrounding petrol subsidy intensified on May 29, 2023, when President Bola Tinubu announced its removal shortly after assuming office.
During his inauguration at Eagle Square in Abuja, Tinubu declared: “The fuel subsidy is gone.”
The President argued that the 2023 budget had not provided for continued subsidy payments and said money previously spent on the programme could instead be redirected to infrastructure, education, healthcare and employment-generating initiatives.
The announcement immediately triggered widespread economic and political debate across the country.
Following the implementation of the policy, petrol prices increased significantly, contributing to higher transportation expenses and increases in the cost of goods and services.
The Tinubu administration has consistently defended subsidy removal as an essential economic reform, while political parties and opposition figures have continued to disagree over whether the policy should remain in place, be redesigned or be reversed.
For Obi, the central issue is not simply whether subsidy should exist, but whether the corruption he associates with the system can first be eliminated.
The NDC presidential candidate also connected his anti-corruption strategy to the conduct of the president and members of the president’s immediate family.
“If you are not stealing, if you are not involved, your wife and family are not involved, you reduce it by 50 per cent,” the NDC candidate said.
Obi was subsequently questioned about the anti-corruption record of former President Muhammadu Buhari, who campaigned heavily on the promise of fighting corruption before winning the presidency in 2015.
The former Anambra governor cautioned against using Buhari’s experience to assess how he would handle corruption if elected president.
“Nigerians should not decide with that,” Obi stated, adding, “He was not in charge. The difference is that I’ll be in charge.”
The exchange formed part of a wider discussion on corruption and the responsibility of a president for the actions of government officials and other members of an administration.
Obi also dismissed the possibility of withdrawing from the 2027 presidential race if opposition parties eventually reach an agreement to support a single consensus candidate.
Instead, he argued that opposition politicians should focus on voter mobilisation and pursue what he described as the appropriate strategy for securing victory at the polls.
“We don’t need to step down. We need to do the right thing.”
