2023: ‘Remove Subsidy!’ Today: ‘Nigerians Must Endure’ — Sowore’s Old Position Comes Back to Haunt the Debate

Sowore’s Subsidy Position: The 2023 Promise That Stood Apart From the Crowd

Omoyele Sowore was one of the presidential candidates in the 2023 election whose position on fuel subsidy remained distinctly different from that of several major contenders. While the debate over subsidy removal dominated Nigeria’s political and economic conversation, Sowore consistently maintained that he would not remove the petrol subsidy if elected president.

During the 2023 campaign, Sowore argued that the priority should not simply be to remove the subsidy and transfer the burden to ordinary Nigerians. Instead, he advocated tackling the structural problems within Nigeria’s petroleum sector, particularly the country’s dependence on imported refined petroleum products and the failure of its refineries to operate at the required capacity.

In a September 2022 interview on Arise TV, Sowore stated that he would not remove the petrol subsidy, while promising to ensure that Nigeria’s refineries worked and that domestic refining would reduce the country’s dependence on imported fuel.

He maintained essentially the same position in January 2023. Responding to questions about the subsidy during another Arise TV interview, Sowore said the subsidy should not be removed and argued that government should address alleged inefficiencies and fraud surrounding the subsidy system rather than simply passing higher costs to Nigerians.

Sowore also argued that government should concentrate on making petroleum products available domestically by fixing Nigeria’s refineries and reducing dependence on imports. His broader argument was that Nigerians should not be left to bear the immediate consequences of a policy change without a concrete plan for production, employment, transportation and social welfare.

It is important, however, to make a factual distinction regarding kerosene and diesel. Sowore discussed these products in the context of Nigeria’s petroleum pricing and subsidy system, but contemporary reporting shows that diesel had already been deregulated in 2003, while kerosene subsidy was removed in 2016. Therefore, it would be inaccurate to state categorically that Sowore's 2023 campaign promise was to “restore” existing diesel and kerosene subsidies.

The larger political argument remains significant. A 2023 fact-check by Ripples Nigeria found that the claim that all presidential candidates in the 2023 election promised to remove fuel subsidy was false. The publication specifically identified Sowore among the candidates who opposed subsidy removal. It also reported that some other major candidates—including Bola Tinubu, Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, Yabagi Yusuf Sani and Rabiu Kwankwaso—had campaigned on positions supporting subsidy removal.

After the election, President Bola Tinubu announced the removal of petrol subsidy in his inaugural address on May 29, 2023. He argued that the subsidy had become increasingly costly and that government resources should instead be redirected toward infrastructure, education, healthcare and employment.

Tinubu later reiterated that he had consistently maintained that the subsidy had to go, describing its removal as part of a broader economic reform programme.

This history provides the context for Sowore’s argument today: he did not suddenly adopt an anti-subsidy position after the policy became unpopular; opposition to the removal of petrol subsidy was already part of his publicly stated 2023 campaign position.

Whether one agrees with Sowore’s economic prescription or not, the campaign record shows that Nigeria’s 2023 presidential candidates did not all present the same position on subsidy removal. The debate, therefore, is not simply about who changed their position after the election, but also about what each candidate actually promised Nigerians before asking for their votes.

For voters and political observers, the more important question is whether political leaders have remained consistent with the economic positions they presented during the campaign—and whether those policies have delivered the outcomes they promised.