Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesperson for the Atiku Abubakar presidential campaign, has declared that any leader who expects Nigerians to pay N1,300 per litre for petrol has no business governing the country. Speaking on Arise TV, Okonkwo criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu over fuel costs, power sector failures, and worsening insecurity.
Okonkwo: Leaders Backing N1,300 Petrol Are Wicked
Okonkwo said: "Anybody who is telling you that Nigerians can pay N1,300 for fuel… I heard diesel had exceeded N2,000 Naira per litre. Anybody who is telling Nigerians to continue paying that is wicked, and is not fit to be a president in this country."
He argued that the federal government could reduce prices by directing crude oil to local refineries at lower rates and improving infrastructure for oil-producing companies. To support his case, he cited Aliko Dangote's reported position on the matter. The Cable quoted Okonkwo as saying: "Dangote himself said, if you supply all the crude I need, the price will come down to N800 instantly."
Petrol Price Debate Heats Up Ahead of 2027 Elections
Tinubu removed the petrol subsidy in May 2023, a move that sent fuel prices sharply higher and pushed up the cost of transportation and basic goods across Nigeria. The decision has since become a central issue among presidential candidates preparing for the 2027 general elections.
Atiku, who is running on the African Democratic Congress (ADC) platform, has pledged to bring back the subsidy if elected, saying the government has not been transparent about the savings from its removal. Other candidates have gone further: Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim of the Accord promised petrol at N605 per litre, while Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party said he would bring petrol, cooking gas, and aviation fuel down to N200 per litre. Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), however, is against restoring the subsidy but wants the recovered funds invested wisely.
Okonkwo Criticises Grid Collapses and Kidnappings
Beyond fuel, Okonkwo accused the Tinubu administration of overseeing more national grid collapses than any previous government, pointing to Tinubu's own campaign pledge on electricity. "Tinubu that ran on the basis that if I don't provide power for you, don't vote for me again. We have witnessed the highest grid collapses in Nigeria in history," he said.
On security, Okonkwo condemned what he described as the administration's failure to protect communities from mass kidnappings, referencing a reported abduction of hundreds of people in Niger State. "That commander-in-chief should go home to his village," he said. "He has just failed. And there's no consequence to anybody who did not perform. Atiku would not allow that."
Okonkwo also alleged that the government had granted N34 trillion in import waivers, and said Atiku's experience as vice-president from 1999 to 2007 and his work on the economic team under former President Olusegun Obasanjo made him the right candidate to turn things around.
Adebayo Promises N200 Fuel Price Slash
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Adewole Adebayo, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2027 elections, pledged to reduce the prices of petrol, cooking gas and aviation fuel (Jet A1) to N200 per litre within his first year in office if elected president. The SDP presidential flagbearer explained that the proposed price reduction would be achieved by reviving Nigeria's existing refineries and creating an enabling environment for modular refineries to operate.
