Fuel at ₦400? Atiku’s Subsidy Plan Unveiled as Peter Obi Vows to Restore Subsidy After Crushing Corruption
Two of Nigeria’s biggest opposition figures have made the same bold promise ahead of 2027: bring back fuel subsidy.
On Monday, Peter Obi, the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, and Atiku Abubakar’s camp in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) separately pledged to restore subsidy — but with different approaches and price tags.
Peter Obi Labour Party 2023 Presidential Candidate and NDC Presidential Flag bearer
Peter Obi: “Fight Corruption First, Then Restore Subsidy”
Speaking at a town hall meeting for the **Obi/Kwankwaso presidential ticket** in Sokoto, Obi said corruption — not subsidy — is Nigeria’s real problem.
*”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,”* he said.
Obi promised to tackle corruption across every sector if elected, adding that his government would deploy Nigeria’s resources to improve security, education, and infrastructure.
He also outlined an ambitious plan to **connect all state capitals by railway lines** to boost economic activity.
*”Education is our number one priority after unity and security,”* he added.
HE. Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, former Vice President and ADC Presidential Candidate
Atiku’s Plan: Fuel at ₦400–₦500 Per Litre
Meanwhile, Dino Melaye, a chieftain of the ADC, appeared on AIT’s *Democracy Today* to explain Atiku’s subsidy plan — and the projected impact.
According to Melaye, restoring subsidy could crash petrol prices from the current ₦1,400 per litre to between ₦400 and ₦500.
“Once there is a reduction in price from ₦1,400, you will start buying fuel at ₦500 or ₦400. Definitely it’s going to have resultant effects on every other price of goods and commodities,” he said.
Melaye, who heads Atiku’s contact and mobilization directorate, argued that high fuel costs are driving the rising cost of living.
“Today, there is no APC market or petrol station. We all go to the same market. We buy fuel at ₦1,400. So everybody is concerned that you have moved us from hunger into compulsory fasting,” he said.
He also rejected the idea that subsidy itself is the problem: *”Ab initio, there is no subsidy. What you have is corruption, money being stolen. So, we are replacing corruption now by leveraging the people.”*
Melaye’s Borrowing Comparison
Melaye took aim at the Tinubu administration’s borrowing record, comparing it to former President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure.
*”During Buhari’s time, with fuel subsidy, Buhari borrowed ₦87 trillion in eight years. But Tinubu, in three years without paying subsidy, borrowed ₦157 trillion. Why will you be borrowing when you are making more?” he asked.
Tinubu’s Response
President Bola Tinubu has already dismissed Atiku’s subsidy proposal, describing it as evidence of “serious ignorance of governance and economy.”
The President said some states struggled to pay salaries and pensions before he assumed office, adding that subsidy removal made more funds available to state governments.
Tinubu Defends Fuel Subsidy Removal, Says Reversal Call Shows ‘Serious Ignorance’
With both Obi and Atiku now publicly committing to restoring subsidy, fuel prices are shaping up to be a defining issue of the 2027 campaign.
The question Nigerians will ultimately answer at the polls: **Is subsidy restoration the path to affordable living — or a return to an unsustainable system?
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