SDP candidate Adebayo says fuel subsidy policy wrong, urges supply guarantee

Adewole Adebayo, the Social Democratic Party's presidential candidate, told Channels TV Politics Today on Tuesday that Nigeria has been getting fuel subsidy wrong, stressing that removing the subsidy without controlling the actual fuel supply is ineffective because a subsidy is merely a government account, not the physical product petrol, and will inevitably fail whenever supply cannot be guaranteed.

His remarks come amid the continuing controversy over President Bola Tinubu's fuel subsidy removal since his inauguration on May 29, 2023, a policy that has driven pump prices up and strained household budgets across the country. Adebayo argues that instead of abolishing the subsidy, the government should focus on securing fuel supply, suggesting that a well‑managed subsidy could be sustainable if supply is guaranteed.

He warned that subsidy will fail anytime there is no control over supply, urging authorities to guarantee supply as a precondition for any subsidy scheme. Readers should weigh whether effective fuel subsidy hinges on supply management and consider how such a shift might affect their fuel expenses, transport costs, and overall cost of living. Will guaranteeing fuel supply make subsidy workable, or should Nigeria explore other ways to ease fuel costs?

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/09/08/weve-been-getting-fuel-subsidy-wrong-sdps-adebayo/