By Eneole Otorkpa, Abuja
A former Cross River State governor and presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party ( PRP), Donald Duke, has rejected the federal government’s characterisation of petrol and other energy interventions as subsidies.
He argued that Nigeria should sell its resources to the citizens at the cost of production.
Duke’s position provides a fresh counterpoise to the competing proposals of President Bola Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi over the future of petrol subsidy.
Tinubu abolished the subsidy in May 2023 and has defended the decision as necessary to free public funds for development. Atiku has promised to restore a targeted subsidy to reduce living costs, while Obi supports its removal but wants the savings transparently invested in productive and social sectors.
Duke spoke yesterday during an interactive session with journalists in Abuja.
He said Nigeria’s crude oil and gas were national resources and should be used to drive economic productivity rather than being priced solely according to international market rates.
“I don’t believe there’s a subsidy,” Duke declared.
According to him, the government should calculate the cost of producing and refining crude oil, add reasonable margins and make petrol available to Nigerians at an affordable price.
He argued that the country could sell other by-products from crude oil at commercial rates to offset the cost of petrol.
“Give it to us at the cost of production, not at the market price,” he said.
Duke said petrol was critical to the Nigerian economy and warned that making energy unaffordable would further weaken productivity.
He also criticised the continued sale of Nigerian gas for local consumption at international prices.
“Don’t sell your gas for local consumption at international price. It’s your own,” he stated.
The former governor said Nigeria had wasted enormous quantities of natural gas through years of flaring, despite the country’s energy needs.
He urged the government to invest in gas processing and establish gas distribution points across the country.
