Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has said the party will consider restoring the petrol subsidy if it wins the 2027 presidential election, as part of efforts to reduce fuel prices.

Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State, made the remarks on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

President Bola Tinubu announced the removal of the petrol subsidy on May 29, 2023, during his inauguration.

Kwankwaso said Nigerians had yet to recover from the economic shock of the decision, arguing that corruption in the oil industry must also be addressed to ease the burden on citizens.

“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.

He said the NDC had reviewed the issue, drawing on the experiences of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in Anambra State, his own administration in Kano and that of the party’s leader, Seriake Dickson.

According to Kwankwaso, the party’s position is that energy prices in Nigeria are too high and that measures must be taken to make life more affordable.

“Our collective position now is that the price of energy in this country is too high,” he said.

“And 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.”

Kwankwaso’s comments come weeks after Obi said he would restore the petrol subsidy after tackling corruption if elected president in 2027.

Speaking at the Nigerian Bar Association’s 2026 conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, in September, Obi argued that the current administration’s alleged mismanagement of the gains from subsidy removal was not, by itself, sufficient reason to reinstate it.

Other presidential hopefuls have also proposed changes to the policy.

Earlier this month, Donald Duke, presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), said he would reduce petrol prices to about ₦300 per litre if elected in 2027.

In August, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, also said he would restore the petrol subsidy if elected, alleging that savings from its removal had been stolen.