Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwaso, the Vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has declared that his party will reintroduce fuel subsidy in a different form if elected in 2027.
He said this while speaking during an interview on Arise Television.
The former Kano State Governor said the NDC would adopt a different approach to subsidy, including expanding domestic refining capacity.
“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.
“Now, 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 to the extent that we achieve the minimum requirement.
“What is the minimum requirement? The minimum requirement is for the people across the country to go to the filling stations and buy fuel at a reasonable price.
“We in the NDC will do whatever it takes really to put the price of oil down.”
Kwankwaso said the three major presidential candidates in the 2023 election had promised to remove the subsidy but criticised President Bola Tinubu for removing it immediately after assuming office.
He said the move contributed to the economic hardship currently facing Nigerians.
“In 2023, during the campaigns, I remember the three of them. All of them said they would remove subsidy. In fact, before then, Atiku even added that he would sell all four refineries to his friends,” he said.
“Among the three of them, Bola Tinubu decided to remove the subsidy. And the consequences that we thought would happen certainly happened.
“And not only did he decide to remove the subsidy; what he did was to remove it immediately, in fact, day one, without looking at all those possible issues that were associated with that.
“And that’s how we find ourselves in this total mess economically. Now, everybody realises that it was a mistake.”
Kwankwaso also accused the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, of promising to remove the subsidy for political reasons.
He said Atiku, who was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2023 election, was seeking to exploit public frustration by making a promise he had previously indicated he would not keep, without explaining how the 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.
“That is one. And secondly, really, he didn’t tell anybody how he’s going to do it.
“But he knew people now are desperate. If you just go out there and say, ‘I’ll remove it,’ even when you said many times that you would not remove it.”
