Sowore Vows to Bring Back Fuel Subsidy as Nigeria's Next President
Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has promised to reinstate fuel subsidy if elected president, arguing that subsidy itself is not the problem but how it is administered, and that the government is already effectively paying subsidies under a different name.
Sowore Vows to Bring Back Fuel Subsidy as Nigeria's Next President
Sowore made the statement during an interview while responding to questions about his plans for Nigeria's economy ahead of the election. When asked whether he would bring back fuel subsidy, he replied without hesitation, "I would bring back subsidy."
His direct response stands in stark contrast to the current administration's position, which removed fuel subsidy in May 2023, leading to a significant increase in petrol prices and widespread hardship across the country.
The AAC candidate argued that the Federal Government is still effectively subsidising some areas of the economy but has simply changed the name of the policy to avoid public scrutiny.
According to him, "In the first place, they're still paying subsidy. They just change the name of what they call it. They're subsidizing not only petrol, because they don't have enough, you know, they can't produce locally."
His claim points to the ongoing government interventions in the downstream sector, where despite the official removal of subsidy, the government continues to absorb costs to keep fuel prices from rising to market-reflective levels.
The promise to bring back subsidy comes amid a broader political climate of economic uncertainty, with Nigeria facing a housing deficit of nearly 15 million units and millions of citizens struggling with the rising cost of living.
The 2026 budget crisis, which involved a fake federal agency receiving N13 billion in allocations, has further eroded public trust in government fiscal management.
Sowore's pledge appears aimed at voters who have been hit hardest by the removal of subsidies, particularly in a country where over 133 million Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty.
However, critics of Sowore's policy proposal argue that reinstating fuel subsidy would reverse the fiscal reforms that the current administration has pursued, potentially jeopardising revenue and increasing the national debt burden.
Others point out that previous subsidy regimes were plagued by corruption, mismanagement, and fuel smuggling, problems that Sowore would need to address if his administration were to implement such a policy effectively.
The debate continues as the 2026 election campaign intensifies, with candidates offering competing visions for Nigeria's economic future.
Source: TrendyBeatz
