2027: What Tinubu, Obi, Atiku, others have promised Nigerians so far - Punch Newspapers

Photo collage of Sowore, Obi, Atiku and Tinubu.

With 18 presidential candidates now on the ballot for the January 2027 general election, the candidates have begun setting out their policy positions on the economy, fuel pricing, electricity, security, education, jobs and social welfare. The Independent National Electoral Commission released the final list of 18 presidential candidates and their running mates on September 12, 2026. They include President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Social Democratic Party candidate Adewole Adebayo, Allied Peoples Movement candidate Seyi Makinde, African Action Congress candidate Omoyele Sowore and Peoples Redemption Party candidate Donald Duke. While the candidates have made different promises, the cost of living, petrol prices, electricity, insecurity and economic management have featured prominently in their campaigns. Here are some of the major promises made so far. Bola Tinubu — APC President Bola Tinubu. Photo credit: File President Bola Tinubu is seeking a second term on the strength of the economic reforms introduced by his administration since 2023, including the removal of petrol subsidy and changes to the foreign exchange system. In accepting the APC’s presidential nomination, Tinubu defended the reforms, saying his administration had moved away from what he described as wasteful fuel subsidies while investing in infrastructure, power, education, security and the oil and gas sector. “We moved away from wasteful fuel subsidies, unstable exchange rates, and weak infrastructure,” he said. Tinubu also highlighted the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, infrastructure projects, domestic refining and electricity reforms, while promising to continue the administration’s economic programme. He said his next four years would focus on “economic expansion, industrialisation, energy security, infrastructure development, food sufficiency, and democratic consolidation.” On electricity, the President said his administration had increased power generation at certain periods and expanded metering, while continuing efforts to resolve debts in the electricity sector. The administration has maintained that subsidy removal and other reforms are necessary to stabilise the economy, while opposition candidates have proposed different approaches to petrol pricing and economic intervention. Atiku Abubakar – ADC Atiku Abubakar.Photo credit: Web Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has promised to restore petrol subsidy if elected, arguing that Nigerians have not seen sufficient benefits from the savings associated with its removal. Atiku initially faced confusion over the position after comments by a campaign aide, but he subsequently reaffirmed his own position. “Earlier, one of my press aides contradicted me in a policy statement as far as subsidy is concerned. I want to repeat categorically that when I said I would return to subsidy, I will!” Atiku said. In an interview with BBC Hausa, he questioned how the funds saved from subsidy removal had been used. “I did not oppose the removal of the oil subsidy, but where is the money? Where did it go?” he asked. His campaign later explained that the proposed intervention would be tied to domestic crude production and refining rather than simply returning to the previous import-based arrangement. Atiku has also proposed a production subsidy for locally refined petroleum products. The APC Presidential Campaign Council has challenged Atiku to explain the legal, fiscal and practical basis of the proposed subsidy, including how it would operate under the Petroleum Industry Act and how it would be funded. Peter Obi – NDC File: Peter Obi Peter Obi has also proposed a return to fuel subsidy, but says any intervention under his administration would be transparent and structured to prevent the corruption associated with the previous system. Speaking in Sokoto on September 28, Obi said he and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, would establish a system for tracking the country’s oil production, transactions and revenues.See more Punch stories on Google.Add Punch on Google “Kwankwaso and I will initiate a work plan that would transparently arrive at the quantum of crude, nature of transactions, import and export, and revenue accruing from every single oil and gas transaction and activity for the benefit of Nigerians,” Obi said. Obi has also promised to retain the naira floating policy introduced by the Tinubu administration, while focusing on increasing productivity to strengthen the currency. His broader agenda includes investment in agriculture, education, security and infrastructure, as well as expansion of rail transportation. In May, Obi also pledged to increase power generation and distribution by at least 10,000MW within four years and proposed expanded health insurance coverage and higher healthcare spending. Adewole Adebayo – SDP FILE: SDP’s Adewale Adebayo Adewole Adebayo has promised an aggressive programme targeting insecurity, energy, employment, education and the cost of living. Unveiling the SDP’s 2027–2031 manifesto, Farewell to Poverty and Insecurity, in Abuja on September 8, Adebayo promised to defeat insecurity within four years. “We are promising that in four years, we are going to defeat insecurity,” he said. On energy, he promised four functional refineries and 75,000 megawatts of electricity generation, alongside a petrol price of N200 per litre. “The plan is to have four functional refineries in Nigeria and generate 75,000 megawatts of electricity. No Nigerian should be living in Nigeria and buying petrol at international prices. That is why we have arrived at N200 per litre for petrol,” the SDP presidential candidate said. Adebayo has also proposed that petrol, cooking gas and Jet A1 should be sold at no more than N200, saying the policy would be supported by revenue from other petroleum derivatives. He said the target would be achieved within 12 months through the revival of existing refineries and support for modular refineries. Beyond fuel, Adebayo has proposed limiting transportation costs to six per cent of workers’ salaries and housing costs to seven per cent, alongside free education and healthcare and increased government focus on agriculture and food security. 2027: Oyebanji, PDP’s Oluyede rally support for Tinubu in Ekiti Okpebholo, Edo APC pledge 2.5m votes for Tinubu in 2027 Senate extends 2025 budget implementation to December 31 Omoyele Sowore – AAC File photo of human rights activist and presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore. Omoyele Sowore has presented a technology-driven agenda focused on artificial intelligence, blockchain, free education, electricity, housing, security and anti-corruption measures. In his manifesto, Sowore proposed using artificial intelligence to manage public finances and drones for national defence. “Sowore2027 will appoint Artificial Intelligence as ‘Minister of Finance’ and a ‘Drone’ as Minister of Defence,” he said. He said AI would be used to detect fraud and irregularities in government spending, while blockchain would provide a permanent public record of government transactions. Sowore has also promised a N500,000 monthly living minimum wage, 24-hour electricity, free education and one million public mixed-income homes. “We are proposing a ₦500,000 monthly living minimum wage because Nigerian workers cannot continue receiving starvation wages while senators, governors and political appointees consume millions every month,” he said. He also promised to industrialise the country, expand agriculture, reform policing and security and use drones and intelligence technology to confront insecurity. Seyi Makinde – APM File photo: Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde Seyi Makinde has rejected a return to the old fuel subsidy system, proposing instead that Nigerian crude supplied to domestic refineries should be priced differently from crude sold internationally. Makinde said the approach would make locally refined petrol cheaper without recreating the previous subsidy arrangement. “That is not my position. Let me explain my position very simply with this example. If a community grows food, the people of that community should not have to buy that food as though it travelled halfway around the world before reaching them. So why should crude oil supplied to Nigerian refineries be priced as though Nigeria does not produce crude oil?” he said. He has also called for transparency across the petroleum value chain, including crude allocation, refining, transportation, distribution, taxes and retail margins. Makinde’s broader “Reset Nigeria” agenda includes reforms in security, education, agriculture, petroleum and the economy. He has also promised to improve food security by establishing accurate data on agricultural production, processing, logistics and storage. Donald Duke – PRP The presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party, Donald Duke. Former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke has focused his campaign on security, productivity, education and improving the conditions of ordinary Nigerians. At the presentation of his presidential nomination certificate in Abuja in June, Duke criticised the state of security in the country and said government should prioritise protecting farmers and children. “We must strive for a Nigeria where farmers return safely from their fields and where every child has a desk and chair in a decent learning environment.” Duke has also framed his campaign around what he described as putting the interests of ordinary Nigerians at the centre of government. “The scavengers have had their turn. Now it is the turn of the common man—the true Nigerian: keke rider, okada, street hawker, market woman, farmer and the unemployed graduate. And I, Donald Duke, seek to be their champion.” On fuel subsidy, Duke has taken a different position from candidates calling for its restoration. Speaking at the Nigerian Bar Association conference debate in Port Harcourt in August, he questioned whether Nigeria had operated a genuine subsidy regime. “You can’t remove what doesn’t exist. I postulate there is nothing like fuel subsidy.” He also questioned the transparency of crude-for-petroleum-product swaps, saying the country needed to focus on productivity and ensure that the factors required for productive economic activity were available. “For me, the overall essence of government is productivity of its people. So if that is the vision or the mission statement of government, all the factors that have to do with productivity must be made abundantly available.” Where the candidates stand on fuel subsidy Fuel pricing has emerged as one of the clearest areas of difference among the candidates. Tinubu’s position is to maintain the post-subsidy reform framework introduced by his administration. Atiku has promised to restore subsidy, while proposing a production-focused intervention for locally refined petroleum products. Obi has proposed a transparent subsidy regime designed around monitoring crude production, oil transactions and government revenues. Adebayo has proposed a N200-per-litre regime for petrol, cooking gas and Jet A1, supported by domestic refining and revenue from other petroleum derivatives. Makinde has rejected the return of subsidy, instead proposing cheaper domestic crude pricing for Nigerian refineries. Duke has questioned whether the subsidy previously existed in the form presented by successive governments. Sowore, meanwhile, has focused less on subsidy restoration and more on technology-driven governance, domestic production and restructuring the economy. The different proposals reflect competing approaches to the same problem: how to reduce energy costs and ease the pressure of high living costs while managing government revenue and the petroleum sector. With the election still months away, the candidates are expected to release or expand their manifestos and provide more details on how their promises would be financed and implemented. Samuel Omotere Samuel Omotere is an experienced journalist covering human interest stories, pop culture, and digital trends. He combines his background as a language graduate with a focus on sustainable digital storytelling.

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