With 18 presidential candidates on the ballot for Nigeria’s January 2027 general election, the contenders have begun outlining their positions on the economy, petrol pricing, electricity, security, education, employment and social welfare.
The Independent National Electoral Commission released the final list of presidential candidates and their running mates on September 12, 2026.
Among those listed are 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.
The candidates have proposed different approaches to the country’s economic and social challenges, with fuel prices, electricity, insecurity and the cost of living featuring prominently in their campaigns.
Bola Tinubu — APC
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.
While accepting the APC’s presidential nomination, Tinubu defended the reforms and said 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.”
Tinubu has also highlighted the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, infrastructure projects, domestic refining and electricity reforms while pledging to continue his administration’s economic programme.
He said the next four years would focus on “economic expansion, industrialisation, energy security, infrastructure development, food sufficiency, and democratic consolidation.”
On electricity, Tinubu has pointed to increased power generation at certain periods and expanded metering, alongside efforts to address debts within the electricity sector.
Atiku Abubakar — ADC
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has promised to restore petrol subsidy if elected, arguing that Nigerians have not received sufficient benefits from savings associated with its removal.
Atiku’s position initially generated confusion following comments by a campaign aide, but he subsequently reaffirmed his own stance.
“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!”
In an interview with BBC Hausa, Atiku also questioned how 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?”
His campaign later said 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 him to explain the legal, fiscal and practical basis of the proposal, including how it would operate under the Petroleum Industry Act and how it would be funded.
Peter Obi — NDC
Peter Obi has also proposed a return to fuel subsidy but said 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 oil production, transactions and revenues.
“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 has also said he would 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, alongside 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
Social Democratic Party presidential candidate Adewole Adebayo has proposed an aggressive programme focused on insecurity, energy, employment, education and the cost of living.
At the unveiling of 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.”
On energy, he proposed 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.”
Adebayo 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 pursued 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. He has also proposed free education and healthcare and increased government focus on agriculture and food security.
Omoyele Sowore — AAC
African Action Congress candidate Omoyele Sowore has presented a technology-focused agenda covering 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 AI would be used to identify fraud and irregularities in government spending, while blockchain would provide a permanent public record of government transactions.
Sowore has also proposed 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.”
His proposals also include industrialisation, agricultural expansion, policing and security reforms, and the use of drones and intelligence technology to tackle insecurity.
Seyi Makinde — APM
Allied Peoples Movement candidate Seyi Makinde has rejected a return to the old fuel subsidy system.
Instead, he has proposed 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.
“Why should crude oil supplied to Nigerian refineries be priced as though Nigeria does not produce crude oil?”
He has also called for transparency throughout 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 proposed measures to improve food security by establishing accurate data on agricultural production, processing, logistics and storage.
Donald Duke — PRP
Former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke has focused his campaign on security, productivity, education and improving living conditions.
At the presentation of his presidential nomination certificate in Abuja in June, Duke 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 placing the interests of ordinary Nigerians at the centre of government.
On fuel subsidy, he has taken a different position from candidates calling for its restoration.
Speaking at a Nigerian Bar Association conference debate in Port Harcourt in August, Duke 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 and said Nigeria needed to focus on productivity and ensure the conditions required for productive economic activity were available.
“For me, the overall essence of government is productivity of its people.”
Where The Candidates Stand On Fuel Pricing
Fuel pricing has emerged as one of the clearest areas of policy difference among the presidential candidates.
Tinubu: His administration’s position is to maintain the post-subsidy reform framework introduced since 2023.
Atiku: He has promised to restore subsidy while proposing a production-focused intervention for locally refined petroleum products.
Obi: He has proposed a transparent subsidy regime alongside monitoring of crude production, oil transactions and government revenues.
Adebayo: He 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: He has rejected a return to subsidy and proposed cheaper domestic crude pricing for Nigerian refineries.
Duke: He has questioned whether the subsidy previously existed in the form presented by successive governments.
Sowore: His proposals focus more on technology-driven governance, domestic production and broader economic restructuring than on restoring the previous subsidy system.
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The proposals show different approaches to the challenges of energy costs, economic management, insecurity, employment and public services.
As the 2027 election approaches, candidates are expected to release or expand their manifestos and provide further details on how their proposals would be financed and implemented.
For voters, issues such as funding sources, timelines, legal frameworks and implementation mechanisms will form part of the information available for assessing the various policy positions before the election.
