The vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has said the party “will do whatever is necessary”, including restoring petrol subsidy, to reduce fuel prices if elected in the 2027 general election.
Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State, disclosed this on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he expressed concern over the economic impact of the subsidy removal by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Tinubu announced the removal of petrol subsidy during his inauguration on May 29, 2023, a decision that led to a sharp increase in fuel prices and raised transportation and living costs.
Kwankwaso said Nigerians were yet to recover from the economic consequences of the policy, arguing that the cost of energy remained too high across the country.
“We have seen the implication of removing the subsidy from day one in the country till today. Up till now, I think nobody has recovered from that shock of removing the subsidy on that day,” he said.
The NDC vice-presidential candidate said the party had examined the issue and drawn on the experiences of its leading figures, including its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, during his tenure as Anambra State governor, as well as Kwankwaso’s own administration in Kano.
He also mentioned former Bayelsa State governor Seriake Dickson, another prominent figure in the party, as part of the discussions on how to address the country’s economic challenges.
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Kwankwaso said the party’s priority was to ease the burden of high energy costs on Nigerians, particularly those struggling to afford basic necessities.
“Our collective position now is that the price of energy in this country is too high,” he said.
Describing the party’s proposed approach to easing the burden on citizens, Kwankwaso said the NDC was prepared to consider extensive interventions to bring down petrol prices.
“Our position is we are going to do whatever is necessary to ensure that the price of fuel in this country is taken back, including doing whatever we can, including the subsidy,” he said.
He added that the party’s proposed measures were aimed at improving living conditions, saying life had become extremely difficult for many Nigerians.
The remarks signal the NDC’s willingness to revisit the subsidy question as parties prepare their economic proposals ahead of the 2027 election.
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