Wia major Nigeria presidential candidates stand on petrol subsidy

Wia dis foto come from, Bola Tinubu/Atiku Abubakar/Peter Obi/Donald Duke/Facebook

Wit just less dan three months to di 2027 general elections for Nigeria, di issue of petrol subsidy na still one of di ogbonge issues wey fit determine how di election fit go.

Di removal of petrol subsidy on di first day of President Bola Tinubu administration bin lead to ogbonge increase for di price of almost evritin for di kontri, from transportation to food and oda evriday goods wey di ordinary man dey use.

Govment bin tok say petrol subsidy dey make Nigeria poorer and if dem remove am, di money wey dem go save go dey used for oda developmental projects wey go benefit di pipo beta.

However, almost four years afta, many pipo say di removal of subsidy don make di pipo poorer, even though govment maintain say e don bring in more money, and help to boost investor confidence for di kontri.

Many of di major presidential candidates for di coming election don dey tok dia mind about wetin dem go do wit petrol subsidy if dem win di presidential seat, so hia na wia some of dem stand:

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Wia dis foto come from, Nigeria Presidency

President Tinubu administration don tok am clearly several times say no going back on di decision to remove petrol subsidy.

Di recent comment by Tinubu na on Monday wen e host di 'City Boy Movement', one of di groups wey dey campaign for im re-election.

Tinubu say bringing back fuel subsidy go be like asking Moses to go back to Egypt.

"I remember my scripture studies, both for di Bible and di Holy Quran. Wen Moses bin comot from Egypt, di Red Sea part and give way. You no fit ask Moses to go back to Egypt. Wit your energy and support, we no go eva go back to Egypt," Tinubu tok.

However, di govment bin put pipo for confusion wen dem announce earlier dis month say dem go introduce 'petrol price discount' for all di govment-owned petrol stations for di kontri.

Opposition leaders react say di govt don take style bring back subsidy, but di presidency insist say di policy no be subsidy, but na just discount from di profit wey di Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) suppose dey make from dia petrol retail operations.

Dis petrol price discount policy go last until di end of October, and afta dat govment go tok wetin next to do.

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, wey dey also run for presidency for 2027 under di platform of di African Democratic Congress (ADC), also dey veri clear say im go restore targeted fuel subsidy if e win di election.

Di former VP say im go bring back subsidy bicos "di wealth of a nation no dey measured by how much govment dey collect, but by how much di money for pipo pocket fit buy".

"On di question of subsidy, my position neva change and e no go change: I go restore am! A nation wey dey blessed like our own no get any business abandoning dia citizens to hardship. Nigeria dey rich enof to look afta her own," Atiku tok for one ADC event.

"Wen fuel (price) rise, transport rise. Wen transport rise, food rise. Wen food rise, families dey suffer."

Wia dis foto come from, Peter Obi/Facebook

For di presidential candidate of di Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, e tok say e go bring back petrol subsidy, but e go first remove di corruption wey bin surround di policy.

Obi, for im interview wit di BBC, say "from day one (wen) I bin tok about subsidy, I tok about corruption; corruption na di problem of subsidy".

"I go remove di corruption and retain di subsidy," Obi tok.

However, Obi, wey also be former govnor of Anambra State, for southeast Nigeria, don dey accused say e no get clear stand on dis issue of petrol subsidy, bicos for different times e don tok different tins about am.

Wia dis foto come from, Donald Duke/Facebook

Donald Duke, former govnor of Cross River State for di south-south geopolitical zone of Nigeria, and presidential candidate of di Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), tok say di current debate about fuel subsidy, dey faulty.

Duke disagree wit both di Tinubu administration wey remove petrol subsidy, and di opinions of Atiku and Obi wey say dem go restore subsidy.

Di PRP candidate say petrol na just one product from crude oil, so di govment fit sell am cheap while selling di oda products from crude at di market price.

"You fit almost sell petrol today at 200 naira per litre, not di 1,000 naira plus. So dat tin about subsidy, I tink say na di biggest scam wey don perpetrate, maybe globally," Duke tok for one interview.

E continue: "We dey easily flare two billion cubic feet of gas a day. Dat na equivalent of 20 million litres of diesel. So, e just be like say wia plenty water dey, still di fish dey thirsty.

"You suppose use wetin you get to get wetin you want. We be energy-blessed kontri. Di pipo suppose dey feel dia blessings," Duke tok.

Human rights activist and candidate of di African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, tok say im no believe in fuel subsidy, but im go return anytin wey go make petrol dey sell for 400 naira per litre for Nigeria.

Sowore also tok say e go chook eye for di previous fuel subsidy regimes and e go jail anybodi wey put hand for corruption under di pretence of petrol subsidy.

Di AAC presidential candidate say di claim of di Tinubu administration say dem remove subsidy totally na "scam" bicos "in di first place, dem still dey pay subsidy. Dem just change di name of whatever dem call am", Sowore allege.

Di Tinubu govment maintain say to restore subsidy again go hurt di Nigeria economy more dan how e bin dey bifor di removal.

First tin be say, e no go dey easy for govment to just tok say, subsidy don come back, bicos di initial removal na through di Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

"Restoring di old arrangement therefore… go require clear legal, fiscal and administrative framework, including identifying di source of di funds and determining how such policy go dey implemented under di present petroleum-market structure," di presidency tok for one statement for August.

Also, di Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele say to return subsidy on petrol fit devastate Nigeria economy sotey di naira fit devalue reach 3000 naira to one US dollar.

"If, for any reason, di President say we dey consider di return of fuel subsidy, capital go react immediately. Airfares go struggle, di naira go come under severe pressure, potentially moving towards 3,000, 3,500 or even 4,000. Di veri fuel pipo want make we subsidise go bicom far more expensive in naira terms," Oyedele tok for one meeting during di International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Annual Meetings for Bangkok, Thailand.

IMF also advice di Nigerian govment say make dem no restore subsidy, but rather to put in place support policies wey go target di most vulnerable for di society.

However, Aliyu Ilya wey be economist sabi pesin say subsidy on im own no be problem, bicos "e no get any govment wey no dey subsidise some tins for dia citizens", but e no be must say di subsidy go be on petrol.

According to am, govment fit subsidise plenty tins like agriculture, manufacturing and odas, but to go back to petrol subsidy "fit be tall order".