By Pius Ashima & Uti Precious
The proposal by former Vice-President and 2027 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to restore fuel subsidy if elected has generated mixed reactions among residents of Warri, Delta State.
Atiku recently promised to reintroduce fuel subsidy if elected President in the 2027 general elections, faulting President Bola Tinubu’s decision to remove the subsidy.
The former Vice-President argued that the benefits of subsidy removal were not reaching ordinary Nigerians, alleging that the proceeds were being cornered and embezzled while the masses continued to grapple with poverty and hardship.
Against this backdrop, Niger Delta Today Online reporters took to the streets of Warri to gauge residents’ reactions to the proposal.
A Warri-based legal practitioner, Oghenero Ezaza, Esq., said the major issue was not necessarily the removal or restoration of subsidy but the effectiveness of government policies.
“After the removal of fuel subsidy, they’ve not seen any improvement on the common citizens,” Ezaza said, arguing that a policy could only be considered successful if its benefits were felt by ordinary Nigerians.
He noted that even when government introduced a good policy, poor implementation could undermine its objectives.
“Removal or no removal may not be the problem because sometimes a government comes up with a good idea but the implementation of the idea is the problem,” he said.
According to him, government policies do not operate in isolation, stressing that supporting policies, competent implementation and an enabling environment were necessary to achieve the desired results.
The lawyer added that the debate should therefore focus on how government could cushion the effects of its policies rather than simply deciding whether to restore subsidy.
He, however, acknowledged that subsidy removal had contributed to the economic hardship being experienced by Nigerians, saying the situation had affected both the elite and ordinary citizens.
A textile distributor, Mrs Okeh, said Nigerians were suffering from the rising cost of living, particularly the increasing prices of transportation and essential commodities.
“We the people are suffering because of the high cost of living and transportation, making it hard for some parents to feed their children,” she said, adding that the frequent increase in transportation costs was also affecting businesses.
But Mr Clement Edafiadjebre, youth leader of Ward 9 in Igbudu community, opposed a return to the subsidy regime.
According to him, although petrol is now more expensive, its availability has improved compared with the period when subsidy was in place.
He said he had adjusted to the current economic reality and would rather the government maintained the present system than return to the old arrangement.
“I have been coping very fine even though the commodities are very high. I’ll prefer it stays like this because I’m already used to it and I’m not ready to start all over again,” Edafiadjebre said.
A tricycle operator, Felix Ochuko, however, said restoring the subsidy could provide relief to Nigerians if Atiku could genuinely implement the promise.
He said the removal of subsidy had triggered increases in petrol prices and food costs, adding that a reduction in fuel prices would have a positive impact on the people.
“Bringing back the subsidy is not a bad idea unless it’s another promise that would not be fulfilled,” Ochuko said.
A wholesale distributor at Igbudu Market, identified simply as Kenneth, took a different position, arguing that subsidy removal itself was not the fundamental problem.
He accused the government of failing to adequately serve the people, insisting that good governance should be prioritised over the subsidy debate.
According to him, “if the government was ruling well, subsidy removal is not supposed to be a problem.”
He urged political leaders to focus on improving the welfare of Nigerians rather than pursuing personal interests.
Mrs Okeh, another shop owner, said she would prefer the subsidy era despite expressing doubts about Atiku’s chances in the 2027 election.
She said the removal of subsidy had made life increasingly difficult, adding that she would prefer younger Nigerians to take greater responsibility in the country’s political leadership.
Similarly, Mrs Jane Okafor, a roadside seller, said she preferred the return of fuel subsidy, recalling the lower petrol prices during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
“During the time of the former President, Goodluck Jonathan, when there was still fuel subsidy, I bought fuel for N75, but now things are different. The suffering is unbearable,” she said.
Okafor maintained that the removal of subsidy had significantly affected ordinary Nigerians, particularly those whose livelihoods depended on daily transportation and small-scale trading.
