At least 67.4 per cent of Nigerians want the Federal Government to restore the petrol subsidy, according to a new report by geopolitical research firm SBM Intelligence. The finding is contained in the second wave of the Nigeria 2027 Voter Sentiment Tracker, titled Nigeria 2027: A Narrower Race.
The survey involved 1,103 eligible voters interviewed face-to-face across 12 states and the Federal Capital Territory, covering Nigeria's six geopolitical zones. SBM Intelligence noted that the findings reflect the views of those surveyed and do not account for historical voter turnout, population projections or voter registration figures.
Petrol Becomes Major Political Issue
The report said petrol has quickly become a major political concern among Nigerians. While it was not included as an issue in the first wave of the survey, it now ranks as the country's second-most cited problem, accounting for 18.2 per cent of responses.
It also recorded the lowest performance rating for the current administration, scoring 1.69 out of four. Overall, 67.4 per cent of respondents rejected the removal of the subsidy, while only 19.2 per cent supported the policy.
Petrol was the top concern in the Southwest, where 30.5 per cent of respondents identified it as their main issue, and in the South-South, at 29.1 per cent. Rural respondents were also more concerned about petrol prices, with 32.4 per cent identifying it as their primary issue, compared with 11.7 per cent of urban respondents.
Regional Concerns on Fuel Subsidy Differ
The survey showed significant differences in priorities across Nigeria's geopolitical zones.
Insecurity remained the leading concern nationally and dominated responses in the Southeast at 62.6 per cent, North-Central at 47.5 per cent and Northwest at 25 per cent. In the Northeast, however, debt ranked first at 28.3 per cent.
In the Southwest, petrol was followed by the economy at 20.2 per cent, jobs at 9 per cent and insecurity at 7.9 per cent. In the South-South, petrol led at 29.1 per cent, followed by the economy at 21.1 per cent.
Subsidy Debate Ahead of 2027
President Bola Tinubu has maintained that the petrol subsidy will not return, while opposition figures have called for alternative measures to reduce fuel and transport costs.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has proposed a production subsidy on locally refined petrol as a way of easing prices.
Petrol currently sells for about N1,375 to N1,500 per litre, compared with roughly N185 to N200 before Tinubu assumed office, following subsidy removal and the naira's exchange-rate reforms.
