Peter Obi’s Subsidy Promise Needs a Clear Plan, Not Moral Assurances

Nigeria has heard a similar anti-corruption promise before: elect an honest leader and public theft will end. Muhammadu Buhari’s presidency showed why personal reputation alone cannot substitute for institutions that investigate allies, protect whistleblowers and enforce consequences. At a September 28 town hall in Sokoto, Peter Obi said that removing corruption would make it possible to restore fuel subsidy. This appears to conflict with his earlier defence of subsidy removal. A change of position is legitimate, but Nigerians deserve a clear explanation of the policy behind it. Eliminating fraud from subsidy payments would reduce waste, but it would not erase the cost of keeping petrol prices below market levels. The World Bank estimated petrol subsidy spending at ₦4.5 trillion in 2022, while noting that poorer households received only a small share directly. Any new intervention should state who qualifies, its annual cost, funding source, audit process and exit conditions. The central question is not whether Obi is personally honest. It is whether he would build institutions strong enough to investigate his allies, disclose procurement contracts and restrain his own government. Nigerians have heard the sermon; they now need to see the system.

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