Former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has reiterated his support for the removal of petrol subsidy, saying the mismanagement of funds saved from the policy should not be a reason to restore it.

Obi stated this on Monday at a conference organised by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The former governor said he had consistently supported the removal of subsidy but argued that it should have been implemented in an organised manner, with the resources saved from the policy properly channelled towards improving the lives of Nigerians.

“I subscribe and maintain that you need to remove subsidy. Mismanagement of the proceeds shouldn’t be the reason for not removing it,” Obi said.

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According to him, the government should have provided Nigerians with alternative uses for the funds recovered from the removal of the subsidy.

Obi, however, criticised the handling of the resources generated since the policy was introduced, alleging that the funds had been mismanaged.

“What we have today is that, that removal and the attendant resources being recovered is also being mismanaged and stolen. For example, we have received, according to them, N16 trillion,” he said.

He explained that his proposed approach would have involved removing the subsidy in an organised manner while ensuring that the savings were invested appropriately in critical sectors for the benefit of Nigerians.

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Obi’s position comes amid renewed political debate over the future of petrol subsidy, with some political figures calling for its restoration while others continue to defend its removal.

The former governor had previously argued that subsidy removal was necessary but should be accompanied by measures to cushion its impact on vulnerable Nigerians.