Remove the criminal, corruption element - Peter Obi on how he would have handled fuel subsidy removal

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections has said he would have removed fuel subsidies but target the criminal elements that have shrouded its implementation.

Obi made this known in an interview on Arise TV on Monday, October 2.

Speaking on several issues that have affected Nigeria, Obi said fuel subsidy remained an organised crime and that a Labour Party presidency would have removed it.

He also said Nigerians are suffering from the "announcement effect".

"Well, let me reiterate my position and I say it that fuel subsidy is organized crime as it was being practiced. If you look at my tweet of September 19, 2022, and my read my manifesto, it shows clearly the way we would have approached it."

"I said that what are consuming is far above what we are consuming now. And if you listen to Gov Yaguda's interview recently, he said his friend who was involved in fuel subsidy told him that it is criminal and that he is even tired of making money through that kind of crime which shows there is a criminal part and corruption part of it."

"For me, the approach would have been to remove the corruption and criminal side of it. Remove the excess demand that is not factual by doing this you would have reduced it by 50%."

"One of the things we are suffering with this announcement is the announcement effect. Policies like this are not what you just announce haphazardly. They are things you talks through and that is what we would have done."