Wike Challenges Obi Over Fuel Subsidy Gains, Demands Accountability From States

Former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has challenged Peter Obi to focus on how states and local governments are spending the additional revenue they received after the removal of Nigeria’s petrol subsidy.

Wike spoke on Wednesday during a media parley in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, while responding to comments by Obi, the former Anambra State governor and 2023 presidential candidate, on the management of funds generated from the subsidy removal.

He argued that the central question should no longer be whether the subsidy was removed, but how the additional revenue distributed to the different levels of government is being used.

Wike said President Bola Tinubu could not dictate how states and local governments should spend their allocations because the three tiers of government operate independently. He maintained that state governments should therefore be held accountable for the funds they receive.

The former governor also argued that increased federal allocations had improved the financial position of many states. He said governments that previously struggled with salaries and pensions now had greater capacity to meet their obligations and fund development projects.

Wike praised Tinubu for ending the petrol subsidy, describing the decision as a difficult step that previous administrations had avoided. He said the focus should now shift towards ensuring that states demonstrate what they have achieved with the additional resources.

The argument comes as the fuel subsidy debate gains renewed attention ahead of the 2027 general election. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said he would restore the subsidy if elected, while Obi has maintained that removing it was necessary but criticised the lack of a clear and organised plan for managing the resulting financial gains.

Tinubu announced the end of the petrol subsidy during his inauguration on May 29, 2023. The President has since repeatedly urged state governments to use higher allocations to improve infrastructure and living conditions rather than diverting the funds to projects with limited public benefit.

The competing positions have turned subsidy policy and the use of increased government revenue into a major political issue ahead of 2027, with the debate increasingly centred not only on the cost of petrol but also on whether Nigerians are seeing tangible benefits from the additional funds available to governments.