Kwankwaso: NDC May Restore Fuel Subsidy to Ease Hardship

***• Faults Tinubu’s policies, promises fresh security blueprint ***

• Says NDC ticket offers Nigerians alternative

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

Vice presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) yesterday said the party may introduce measures, including fuel subsidy interventions, to reduce the burden of rising energy costs on Nigerians if its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, wins the January 16, 2027 presidential election.

Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State, said the party’s priority would be to make energy more affordable and improve the living conditions of Nigerians struggling with economic hardship.

Speaking on ‘Politics Today’ on Channels Television, he said the party had reviewed the consequences of the removal of the petrol subsidy in May 2023 and was considering measures to address the resulting economic pressures.

“Our collective position now is that the price of energy in this country is too high, and our position is that we are going to do whatever is necessary to ensure that the burden is reduced, including the subsidy and so on and so forth,” he said.

Kwankwaso maintained that his political position on subsidy had remained consistent, explaining that his party had opposed its immediate removal in 2023 and had instead advocated measures to tackle corruption and irregularities within the petroleum industry.

He said the NDC had since examined the economic implications of the policy and was determined to develop an approach that would ease hardship without igoring the need to address abuses in the sector.

The former governor said the party was working on a policy blueprint that would outline its proposed economic and security interventions ahead of the election.

On insecurity, Kwankwaso criticised successive administrations for failing to adequately address the crisis, particularly in northern Nigeria, where communities continue to face threats from insurgency, banditry and kidnapping.

He argued that insecurity could not be resolved through military operations alone, insisting that education, employment, healthcare, agriculture and economic empowerment were essential components of a sustainable solution.

Citing his record as Kano State governor between 1999 and 2003 and again from 2011 to 2015, Kwankwaso said his administration had combined social investment with security coordination.

“During my time as governor of Kano State, we looked at all areas, areas of education, from primary, secondary to tertiary. In fact, we had free education in Kano,” he said.

He added that his administration established two universities and several specialised institutions, expanded educational opportunities and introduced empowerment programmes for young people.

Kwankwaso also recalled his administration’s response to Boko Haram’s attempts to establish a foothold in Kano in 2012. He said his government strengthened cooperation among the police, intelligence services and military, while providing equipment to improve their operational capacity.

“The equipment and the synergy that we created between the police, the SSS, the military, everybody, were all working together as a family,” he said.

According to him, the experience demonstrated the importance of effective coordination between security agencies and political authorities in protecting communities.

Kwankwaso said the NDC would publish a comprehensive security blueprint detailing how it intended to tackle the country’s security challenges if elected.

He also rejected suggestions that the movement of several governors towards the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) demonstrated the party’s political superiority.

Rather, he argued that the growing alignment of governors with the presidency reflected their calculations about electoral survival and the difficulty of contesting elections without powerful political alliances.

He insisted that the NDC ticket remained competitive, pointing to Obi’s support in southern Nigeria and the strength of his Kwankwasiyya political movement in the North.

According to him, the party’s appeal would depend on its ability to convince Nigerians that it offered a credible alternative to the current administration.

On his decision to run as Obi’s running mate after pursuing the presidency in previous elections, Kwankwaso said political circumstances had changed and that both men had developed a better understanding of their respective positions.

He explained that the decision followed consultations and an assessment of their shared objectives, adding that the arrangement reflected an understanding that the South should complete the presidential term that began under the current administration.

“I didn’t know that he was that credible. I didn’t realise that he has that capacity to do things,” Kwankwaso said of Obi.

He added that discussions between their camps had revealed substantial similarities in their visions for Nigeria.

“Our vision for the country was similar, and it was very easy for us to come and say, ‘Okay, let’s work together as leaders from the South and the North to ensure the success of the party and, by extension, the success of this country,’” he said.

Kwankwaso also confirmed that the two politicians had reached an agreement concerning their proposed administration, although he urged journalists to obtain Obi’s own confirmation of the arrangement.

Responding to questions about claims that northern political leaders were rallying behind President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, Kwankwaso said political endorsements by influential figures should not be confused with the preferences of ordinary voters.

He argued that poverty, insecurity and economic hardship had created a strong demand for political change, particularly in northern communities.

“The people of this country, especially people of northern Nigeria, are very much interested in changing their circumstances, their situation,” he said.

Kwankwaso urged voters to assess political parties based on their records, programmes and capacity to improve living conditions rather than the number of governors supporting them.

He said the NDC would intensify its consultations and campaign activities across the country before the January election.