ABUJA — Cracks have emerged within the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as its National Vice Chairman for the North-West zone, Muhammadu Rabiu Bakinzuwo, declared his support for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Bakinzuwo announced his decision during an interview with Hantsi TV, attributing his shift from NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi to Atiku’s proposal to reinstate the petroleum subsidy if elected.
He criticized Obi’s stance on the policy, describing the former Anambra State governor’s continued defense of fuel subsidy removal as insensitive to the economic hardship facing ordinary Nigerians.
’A Policy Choice for the Masses’
Bakinzuwo stated that Atiku’s commitment to restoring the subsidy offers a sense of relief to citizens battling the high cost of living, rising electricity tariffs, and broader inflationary pressures under the current administration.
”Even if you believe the promise is politically motivated, you must support someone who shows compassion for the suffering of the masses over an ugly alternative,” Bakinzuwo said. “Since Obi has justified the removal of the subsidy and appears willing to retain the policy, thereby continuing to impoverish Nigerians, I am not with him at all.”
Addressing potential backlash over defecting from his party’s candidate, Bakinzuwo dismissed concerns regarding party loyalty, asserting that national interest supersedes party lines.
”It is a political party, not the Qur’an,” he noted. “If today I decide to leave the party, then what? I am not talking about Peter Obi as an individual. I am talking about someone who will fix the mess in the country.”
Growing Rift Over Subsidy Policy
Bakinzuwo’s departure highlights the widening policy debate within opposition factions over energy pricing and economic reform.
Speaking at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Peter Obi reaffirmed his position on subsidy removal. Obi argued that while the proceeds from the policy have been mismanaged and stolen by the present administration, reversing the removal is not the solution. Instead, Obi insisted that subsidy savings must be transparently managed and redirected into productive sectors like health, education, and infrastructure to cushion the impact on citizens.
Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has conversely targeted popular discontent over rising pump prices by promising to reintroduce a modified fuel subsidy regime to lower immediate living costs.
This division underscores how fuel subsidy reform remains one of the central policy battlegrounds shaping alliances and candidate alignments ahead of the 2027 general election.
