Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has defended the removal of petrol subsidy, saying its return would be harmful to Nigeria, while explaining his support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
Otti spoke in an exclusive interview with Arise Television on Friday, where he also addressed his position as a Labour Party governor working with the Tinubu administration and participating in the National Economic Council.
The governor said he had opposed fuel subsidy for years, arguing that government intervention should focus on supporting production rather than reducing the cost of consumption.
“I don’t have a problem supporting production, but consumption should not be subsidised,” Otti said.
He recalled that he wrote in support of subsidy removal in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the collapse in global demand for crude oil created unusual conditions in the international oil market.
According to him, the circumstances provided Nigeria with an opportunity to end the subsidy regime.
Otti said subsidising fuel consumption also encouraged waste because consumers were shielded from the full cost of their activities.
“You know, as election approaches, people will be making all sorts of arguments, but removing the subsidy was the right thing to be done.
“And I don’t think anybody who is praying that subsidy returns means well for the country,” he said.
The governor further criticised the administration of the subsidy regime, describing it as a “scam” and arguing that it created room for abuse.
He said motorists who did not bear the full cost of fuel had little incentive to limit consumption.
“So if you are being subsidised, you can just blast all vehicles, maybe 20 vehicles, you put all of them on the road because somebody is paying for it,” he said.
Otti, however, acknowledged the immediate economic hardship associated with the reform, saying Nigerians would have to endure pain before the benefits of the policy could be fully realised.
“There will be the pain initially,” he said.
Tinubu announced the removal of petrol subsidy on May 29, 2023, shortly after his inauguration as President. The decision resulted in a substantial increase in petrol prices and was followed by higher transportation and living costs.
The reform has remained a subject of public debate, with calls for its reversal continuing alongside government efforts to mitigate its effects.
Why I support Tinubu
On the 2027 presidential election, Otti said his support for Tinubu's re-election should be understood within the context of his responsibilities as a governor and member of the National Economic Council.
He was asked whether his support for Tinubu represented a “comfortable arrangement” between a Labour Party governor and the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Otti said he was not in a position to oppose the President's candidacy, noting that he was part of the government structures through which major national policies were discussed and implemented.
“It works the way you have said. It’s a statement of fact. I am not in a position to oppose his candidacy,” he said.
The governor, however, sought to distinguish between supporting the President in his capacity as a governor and the question of the Labour Party's candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
Asked whether he was supporting Tinubu's re-election, Otti recalled that he had previously said he had a presidential candidate for the Labour Party.
When the interviewer suggested that he was referring to Tinubu, Otti responded: “No, that’s not what I said.”
Asked whether he meant a Labour Party presidential candidate, he replied, “Yes.”
When the interviewer returned to the question of whether he was supporting Tinubu, Otti said: “What do you expect me to say? To say I’m not supporting him?”
He explained that as a member of the National Economic Council, he was involved in discussions surrounding some of the policies of the Federal Government.
“I had also said that as a governor in this republic, that a lot of the things that are being, in fact, I’m part of all the things that have been done as a member of National Economic Council. So, we should distinguish that.
“When somebody now says, ‘Oh, you are supporting or you’re not,’ I have to support him,” he said.
Otti also argued that political opposition should not necessarily translate into confrontation where an individual is simultaneously part of the government structure.
“And sometimes people don’t understand opposition. When you say opposition, and you are part of a government, then what you are driving towards is implosion,” he said.
The governor said he preferred to raise disagreements with the President privately through official government channels.
“So if I do have a problem with anything, I’ll sit down in one of our meetings and I’ll make my point. So I’m not going to oppose his candidacy,” he added.
Otti also pointed to areas where Tinubu's economic policies align with his own position, particularly the removal of petrol subsidy.
“Quite frankly, there are a lot of things that we have talked about now, that he has implemented, that resonate with me and my thinking.
“People don’t have to agree with me, but from where I sit, I know that for instance, the fuel subsidy was even unsustainable,” he said.
The governor's comments come as political parties and politicians position themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections, with debates continuing over the future of the Labour Party and the alliances that could shape the presidential contest.
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