The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has questioned how the Federal government’s 30-day petrol price discount would reduce poverty, unemployment, insecurity and inequality in the country.

Obi raised the questions in a statement posted on his X platform on Sunday, describing the initiative as a reactive policy that substitutes political optics for sound economic planning.

He argued that the discount, which he said amounts to less than five per cent of petrol costs, is unlikely to address the wider economic challenges facing Nigerians.

“The announcement by the APC-led Federal government offering a 30-day discount on price of petrol to relieve the acute hardship and hunger caused Nigerians by its unplanned removal of subsidy can only be described as another very reactive and confused approach to governance that is now the culture of the Tinubu government,” he said.

Obi said he had delayed commenting on the policy to allow time to assess its outcome, but maintains that the measure has not demonstrated a sustainable approach to addressing the country’s economic difficulties.

He recalled that President Bola Tinubu removed the petrol subsidy on May 29, 2023, arguing that the decision was taken without adequate consultation or a proper assessment of its likely effects on the economy and the livelihoods of ordinary Nigerians.

According to Obi, the subsidy removal was followed by other policies, including the floating of the Naira and tax reforms, which he argued are being implemented without proper sequencing and coordination.

He also criticised the government’s handling of multiple budgets, arguing that the combined effect of the policies has contributed to inflation and rising costs of goods and services.

Obi attributed what he described as increasing multidimensional poverty, business closures, unemployment, insecurity, widening inequality and youth migration to the economic pressures arising from the policies.

He also said the policies had weakened the general well-being of Nigerians, insisting that the government should assess their impact before introducing temporary relief measures.

The former Anambra State governor called for a detailed and publicly available regulatory impact assessment of government policies, arguing that such an exercise would help identify their effects and guide necessary adjustments.

He said a government committed to sustainable economic growth should engage stakeholders and ordinary citizens in consultations to develop inclusive policies that improve living conditions and expand economic opportunities.

Questioning the objectives of the petrol discount, Obi asked whether it would increase productivity and exports or whether it was intended to determine if the subsidy should be restored.

“Will it reduce poverty, unemployment, insecurity, and inequality? Will it increase productivity and exports? Is it a test to ascertain if subsidy should be restored? Is it another political gambit in the face of threats of electoral loss in the 2027 election?” he asked.

“Too many questions, no answer!” the former Governor of Anambra State added.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has raised concerns over the lack of transparency surrounding the production of sensitive materials for the 2027 general elections, urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disclose the companies handling the printing.

Atiku warned that keeping details of the contracts and the process of selecting contractors from the public could weaken confidence in the electoral process.

In a statement issued by his Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, on behalf of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, the former vice-president also called on INEC to explain recent changes involving officials in key departments responsible for election operations and information technology.

Reports said that Director Isa Magaji Gum has been moved from the Electoral Operations Department to the Voter Registry Department, while Mrs. Oluyemi Titilayo Adeyemi-Showunmi has been appointed to head Electoral Operations.

Dr. Lawrence Bayode was also identified as head of Information and Communication Technology.

Atiku said the commission has a responsibility to explain the reasons for the changes, and demonstrate that the decisions followed due process.

“These departments are at the heart of election administration. INEC must explain these decisions, publish the criteria applied and show that every appointment and redeployment followed due process, was based on merit and was free from political interference,” he said.

He also asked INEC to confirm or deny reports that Hitech, or a company linked to it, had secured a contract to print sensitive election materials for 2027.

“We are concerned by reports that more than half of the sensitive election materials, including presidential ballot materials, may have been allocated to an undisclosed company reportedly based in France. There are also questions about reports that the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc is handling materials for only 15 to 17 states, while private companies are responsible for the remaining states.”

The former vice-president said Nigerians deserve to know which companies are producing their ballots and how the contracts were awarded.

“Nigerians should not have to depend on unnamed sources to discover who is producing their ballots,” he said.

The statement called for the publication of the names of the contractors, contract allocations, procurement procedures and security arrangements.

Atiku further argued that any contract awarded to Hitech or an associated company would raise questions about the commission’s neutrality.

He cited publicly reported business ties between the Chagoury family, which owns Hitech, and the Tinubu family.

He also referred to controversies surrounding major Hitech contracts under President Tinubu’s administration, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.

However, Atiku said INEC should clearly address the matter if neither Hitech nor any company linked to it has been selected to print election materials.

He also called on the Central Bank of Nigeria to disclose allocations for banknote printing and explain the roles of local and foreign contractors.

“We urge INEC to maximise the capacity of local security-printing firms and ensure that all ballot papers and result sheets are properly secured and accounted for at every stage of the electoral process. Any attempt to manipulate the 2027 elections will be resisted through the ballot, lawful civic action and other democratic means available to Nigerians,” he said.