The Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2023 election, Dumebi Kachikwu, has declared that he will return fuel subsidy if elected president in 2027.
Kachikwu, who accused successive administrations of mismanaging the subsidy regime, said ordinary Nigerians should not continue to suffer for the failures of a few who abused the system.
He maintained that a responsible government should prosecute those who diverted subsidy funds instead of punishing citizens with rising costs of living.
The ADC chieftain stressed that as an oil-producing nation, Nigeria has no justification for abandoning subsidies while citizens struggle under economic hardship. “Poor Nigerians are paying the price of our inefficiencies. What should have been done was to clean up the subsidy process and punish offenders, not remove it,” he said.
Kachikwu also dismissed claims that President Bola Tinubu removed subsidy on the day of his inauguration, insisting that the policy ended under former President Muhammadu Buhari, who failed to make provision for it in the 2023 budget. Tinubu, he said, only announced what he met on ground.
Beyond the subsidy debate, Kachikwu sent a direct message to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other politicians allegedly eyeing the ADC as a platform for the 2027 election.
He warned them to “keep off,” insisting the party will not be a vehicle for recycled politicians. “Atiku should go and rest. The ADC is not available for those who have had repeated chances to serve but failed Nigerians,” he declared.
The former ADC flag bearer accused politicians of attempting to hijack the party from those who had laboured to build it. He vowed to resist them and contest again on the party’s platform in 2027.
Kachikwu further argued that Nigeria’s political crisis is rooted in tribalism, religion, and regionalism, which have hindered national unity since independence. He said any future president must prioritise building cohesion, tackling injustice, and promoting meritocracy.
The ADC hopeful maintained that his vision is for a Nigeria where leadership is about fairness to all, not nepotism. “When you take care of everybody, you take care of your people. That is the only path to national progress,” he said.
