Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, has rejected calls for a return to petrol subsidy, proposing instead that crude oil supplied to Nigerian refineries should be priced more affordably.

Makinde said the approach would reduce the cost of petrol for Nigerians without returning to what he described as the old subsidy system.

He made the remarks on Monday while speaking at the commissioning of the APM presidential campaign office in Abuja, where he outlined elements of his “Reset Nigeria” agenda.

Makinde: Domestic Crude Should Reflect Nigeria’s Oil-Producing Status

Makinde questioned why crude oil supplied to refineries in Nigeria should be priced as though it had been imported from abroad.

According to him, Nigeria’s status as an oil-producing country should be reflected in the price at which crude is supplied for domestic refining.

He argued that any benefit from Nigeria’s crude resources should be built into the petroleum pricing system from the beginning rather than introduced through interventions at the petrol pump after other costs and inefficiencies have accumulated.

‘I Am Not Calling for Fuel Subsidy’

The governor stressed that his proposal should not be interpreted as an attempt to restore the former petrol subsidy regime.

Instead, he advocated a pricing framework in which locally produced crude supplied to domestic refineries is made available at a price that can help lower the final cost of refined petroleum products.

He also called for greater transparency throughout the petroleum value chain, from crude production and domestic allocation to refining, transportation, distribution, taxes and retail margins.

Makinde Rejects Atiku’s Subsidy Proposal

Makinde’s position comes after former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who is also seeking the presidency in 2027, pledged to restore fuel subsidy if elected.

Atiku has argued that reinstating the subsidy would help reduce the financial burden created by the removal of the policy in 2023.

President Bola Tinubu announced the removal of the petrol subsidy during his inauguration on May 29, 2023, a move that resulted in a sharp increase in petrol prices and contributed to higher transportation and living costs.

Makinde, however, said the focus should instead be on addressing the pricing structure that determines the cost of petrol.

Governor Calls for Transparency in Petroleum Sector

The APM presidential candidate said Nigerians should be able to understand how the final price of petrol is determined.

He argued that citizens should know what they are paying for, who receives payments across the value chain and where inefficiencies are increasing the eventual pump price.

Makinde said his proposed Reset Nigeria agenda would seek to make government decisions and the use of public resources more transparent and accountable.

Makinde Defends 2027 Presidential Bid

Addressing concerns about the strength of his presidential campaign, Makinde said he had previously faced doubts when he contested the Oyo State governorship.

He argued that political observers who underestimate his campaign are also underestimating millions of Nigerians who want changes in the way the country is governed.

The governor called on Nigerians to participate in his proposed “Reset Nigeria” conversation by contributing ideas and challenging policy proposals ahead of the 2027 election.

What Makinde’s Proposal Could Mean

Makinde’s proposal represents a different approach to reducing petrol prices from a conventional fuel subsidy.

Rather than having government compensate suppliers or consumers for part of the cost after the pricing process, his proposal focuses on the upstream cost of crude supplied to domestic refineries.

If implemented, such a framework would require clear rules on domestic crude pricing, refinery costs, transportation, taxes, margins and other components that determine the final pump price.

For now, the proposal remains a campaign policy position, not an existing federal government policy.

The Director-General of the West African Health Organisation (WAHO), Professor Palokinam Pitche, has visited the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control (RCSDC) in Abuja as part of efforts to strengthen health security and disease preparedness across West Africa.

The visit focused on improving strategic collaboration and coordination between WAHO leadership and the regional disease-control centre.

According to a statement disclosed on Thursday, the engagement provided an opportunity to assess the centre’s activities and discuss measures for strengthening regional preparedness and response to public health threats.

Pitche Reviews Disease Surveillance Activities

During the working session, Pitche reviewed the RCSDC’s recent activities and achievements, as well as some of the operational challenges confronting the centre.

The discussions also examined prospects for improving disease surveillance and response mechanisms across the ECOWAS region.

Particular attention was given to priorities requiring stronger coordination within WAHO structures to ensure more effective responses to emerging and ongoing public health challenges.

WAHO Seeks Stronger Regional Coordination

The WAHO chief reaffirmed his support for the RCSDC, stressing the importance of stronger collaboration among institutions under the organisation.

The engagement is expected to contribute to improved coordination of regional health initiatives and more effective collective responses to complex health emergencies.

The organisation said the visit reflects the new WAHO leadership’s commitment to strengthening internal cooperation and advancing coordinated health-security efforts across West Africa.

New WAHO Leadership Begins Regional Engagements

Pitche assumed office as WAHO Director-General on September 1, 2026, succeeding the previous administration.

The Togolese public health specialist brings more than 25 years of experience in public health, health services administration, programme management and health systems strengthening.

His professional background includes work with national governments and international organisations such as the World Health Organisation, UNAIDS, USAID, WAHO, UNDP and UNFPA.

Strengthening Health Security Across West Africa

WAHO is the specialised health institution of ECOWAS, with a mandate to support member states in improving health systems, expanding access to healthcare and protecting populations across the region.

The RCSDC, based in Abuja, plays an important role in regional disease surveillance and coordination of responses to public health emergencies.

The latest engagement between the WAHO leadership and the centre therefore comes as part of broader efforts to build stronger regional systems for detecting, preventing and responding to health threats.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has accused Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of creating the political crisis rocking the state and attempting to blame him for its fallout.

Wike said AbdulRazaq pushed three senators and several members of the House of Representatives out of the All Progressives Congress (APC) political arrangement, only to accuse him of sponsoring them after some found accommodation in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“He has been the one championing this campaign against me everywhere. I mean the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and I have confronted him about it,” Wike said.

“You removed three senators; you removed members of the House of Representatives. You must be a super governor to survive that.

“Strategically, if you try to remove all these people, you have a crisis in your hands, and you have to be very, very careful.”

The crisis took a dramatic turn with the defection of Kwara Central Senator Saliu Mustapha from the APC to the PDP, where he subsequently emerged as the party’s senatorial candidate.

Mustapha’s defection, alongside the exit of other prominent APC figures, has rattled the political establishment in Kwara and significantly altered calculations ahead of the 2027 elections.

Wike questioned what AbdulRazaq expected the displaced politicians to do after shutting them out of the APC, saying they could have joined the ADC or NDC, where their support for President Bola Tinubu could not be guaranteed.

“These senators you removed, you have no place for them. Therefore, did you prefer them to go to ADC or to go to NDC, which is opposing Mr President fervently?” he asked.

Wike said rather than appreciate that the politicians joined a PDP tendency still supporting Tinubu, AbdulRazaq had resorted to portraying him as the mastermind of opposition against his government.

“The Governor of Kwara State now takes this propaganda to their own level, saying that Wike is now sponsoring a candidate in Kwara because I am supporting Saraki,” he said.

Wike dismissed the allegation, insisting that his support for Tinubu did not mean the PDP would stop fielding candidates against the APC.

“Did I have any agreement that now that we are supporting Mr President, PDP will not have any candidate anywhere?” he asked.