The Obidient Movement has proposed a fuel subsidy framework that would allow Nigerians to pay half the reference price of petrol if Peter Obi becomes president, while demanding greater transparency in the management of the petroleum sector.
The group made the proposal while criticizing the Federal Government’s recently announced 30-day petrol discount, arguing that the initiative raises questions about the government’s position on subsidy removal and the figures used to calculate fuel-related interventions.
In a statement issued on Friday by its Head of Media and Communications Directorate, Onyeka Dike, the movement said an Obi-led administration would restore petrol subsidy under a system designed to prevent alleged corruption, inflated claims and the misuse of public funds.
According to the group, the proposed policy would guarantee that Nigerians pay half the independently determined reference price of petrol.
How the Proposed Half-Price Policy Would Work
The movement said an independent panel would determine and publish a reference price every week, using international market benchmarks, freight costs and verified domestic expenses.
Under the proposal, subsidy payments would be tied to actual petrol sales verified through metered filling-station pumps. Refiners, depot operators and marketers would not be reimbursed for fuel that had not been sold to consumers.
The group also proposed digital tracking to create an auditable record of petrol from refinery gates to filling stations, with the aim of preventing fictitious sales and inflated consumption figures.
It added that access to Nigerian crude oil for domestic refineries should operate under transparent rules that ensure fair treatment of licensed operators.
The proposed framework would require legislative and budgetary approval from the National Assembly. The movement also called for monthly public reports detailing petrol prices, volumes sold, subsidy payments, beneficiaries, penalties, recovered funds and independent audit findings.
Group Questions Government’s Fuel Consumption Figures
The Obidient Movement questioned the daily petrol consumption figures cited by government officials, contrasting President Bola Tinubu’s reported estimate of around 30-something million litres per day in September 2024 with Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele’s reported figure of approximately 50 million litres daily in October 2026.
It asked the Federal Government to publish the data and methodology supporting its estimates, arguing that independently verifiable figures were necessary to establish the actual cost of fuel-related interventions.
The group also alleged that subsidy-like payments had continued under descriptions such as “under-recovery” and “energy security costs”, despite the government’s declaration that petrol subsidy had been removed.
These claims formed part of the movement’s criticism and were not independently established by the statement.
The group further proposed audits of energy security contracts, measures to reduce crude oil production costs, stronger pipeline protection through partnerships with host communities and fair access to crude oil for domestic refiners.
It maintained that the proposed half-price arrangement would combine affordable petrol with accountability, rather than rely on a temporary discount that expires after 30 days.
The proposal comes as the Federal Government seeks to cushion the impact of rising petrol prices through its latest temporary relief initiative.
However, the Obidient Movement has yet to demonstrate in the statement how much its proposed framework would cost or identify the precise funding sources that would sustain it.
