Former Kaduna Central lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, has described former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s promise to restore fuel subsidy if elected president in 2027 as “deception,” arguing that such a policy would be impracticable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.
Sani, who spoke at a press conference in Abuja, said Nigeria could not afford to return to a subsidy regime that he said had previously cost the country trillions of naira and contributed to corruption and fuel smuggling.
He said rather than restoring subsidy, political leaders should focus on revamping Nigeria’s refineries and ensuring that the country refines its crude oil locally.
According to him, Nigeria had spent between N3 trillion and N4 trillion subsidising petroleum products, describing the situation as economically unsustainable for an oil-producing country.
“I don’t think any candidate that is worthy of leadership should pull us back to that era,” Sani said.
He alleged that the subsidy regime had also been abused by some individuals who diverted public funds under the guise of importing petroleum products.
Sani further said subsidised petroleum products were smuggled into neighbouring countries where fuel was sold at higher prices, thereby depriving Nigeria of the benefits of the policy.
He questioned the rationale behind Nigeria continuing to export crude oil, import refined petroleum products and then spend scarce foreign exchange subsidising the imported products.
“If any politician makes pledges of revamping our refineries so that we can be able to refine our own crude oil, then he’s making sense,” he said.
“But a politician that has been in the economic field for a very long time telling us that the way forward for us as an oil-producing country is to continue to import all petroleum products and again use our own foreign currency to subsidise it for our people to consume, for how long can we continue to do that?”
Sani acknowledged that the removal of fuel subsidy had imposed significant hardship on Nigerians, but maintained that the solution should not be a return to the previous system.
“The return of subsidy will not bring down the prices of commodities. It will simply distort the economic stability of our country,” he said.
He urged the Federal Government to give the ongoing economic reforms a “human face,” saying Nigerians should not be expected to bear the burden of reforms while political leaders continue to enjoy extravagant lifestyles.
According to him, reducing the size and cost of government and making sacrifices at the executive and legislative levels were necessary to demonstrate that the burden of economic reforms was being shared.
Sani also called for greater investment in domestic refining, citing the Dangote Refinery as an example of the potential benefits of refining petroleum products locally.
He questioned why Nigeria would continue importing refined petroleum products when private investment had established a major refinery in the country.
“We should not just talk about importing petroleum products,” he said, stressing that Nigeria could not achieve meaningful economic independence while continuing to export raw materials and import finished products.
The former senator also used the occasion to comment on the 2027 general elections, urging political parties and candidates to campaign on issues, policies and programmes rather than ethnic, religious or sectional sentiments.
He warned that the use of ethnicity and religion to attack political opponents could undermine national unity and stability.
“At this time of our country’s life, we should assess, analyse, and elect leaders based on what they stand for and what they can deliver for us as a country,” he said.
Sani also criticised opposition politicians for seeking foreign support or intervention in Nigeria’s political affairs, saying political parties should convince Nigerian voters rather than seek validation from foreign governments and institutions.
He said Nigeria’s democratic system had survived several periods of crisis and expressed optimism that the 2027 election could be transparent and credible.
The former senator, however, expressed concern over what he described as negative predictions about Nigeria’s future ahead of the election, urging political actors to prioritise the unity and stability of the country over their individual political ambitions.
In the 2027 presidential contest, Sani said he supported the emergence of a southern presidential candidate, arguing that political power should rotate among the different regions of the country.
He said this was necessary to respect Nigeria’s diversity and promote political balance, while adding that the issue was not a constitutional requirement but a matter of political understanding and national stability.
Sani also expressed support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid, while urging opposition parties to consider a southern candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
He warned politicians against treating elections as a matter of life and death, saying Nigeria should remain united regardless of the outcome.
“The country doesn’t have to fall because you lose elections. The country doesn’t have to scatter into pieces because you lose elections,” he said.
Sani said political leaders should recognise that Nigeria, with its large population and diverse ethnic and religious groups, had a responsibility to manage political disagreements carefully and avoid actions that could threaten peace and stability.
