NBA Conference: Obi, Amaechi, Sowore Duel on Subsidy, Security; Gbajabiamila Champions State Police

Prominent presidential aspirants — Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and Omoyele Sowore — engaged in a lively debate on Monday, addressing Nigeria's persistent security challenges, the contentious fuel subsidy issue, governance frameworks, and the nation's political trajectory. This significant discussion took place at the 2026 Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference held in Port Harcourt. Concurrently, Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to the President, used the platform to advocate for the federal government's proposed reforms aimed at establishing state police.

The panel featuring these presidential hopefuls, a key event on the conference's second day, saw intense arguments unfold. Each politician presented differing perspectives on the escalating insecurity, widespread poverty, and governance deficits confronting Nigeria, all in anticipation of the 2027 general elections. The discussion grew especially fiery when Sowore directly questioned the past performance of Rotimi Amaechi, a former Rivers State governor and fellow presidential aspirant. Sowore also broadly condemned previous governors and other political figures, attributing the impoverishment of Nigerians to their past policies.

Omoyele Sowore reiterated his firm stance against the removal of fuel subsidy, alleging that successive administrations had prioritised subsidising the lavish lifestyles of the political elite over providing genuine support to ordinary Nigerians. He stated, “The question about subsidy is, who are you subsidising? You are subsidising the elite. You are subsidizing the governors. The only people who are doing well since they removed subsidy were the governors of states. And when they talk about subsidy, they make it sound like they have not removed subsidy before. I was a student in 1988, I mean in 1989, they removed subsidy. In 1990, they removed subsidy. They said Nigeria will be better. We are in 2026, they are still removing subsidy.”

Sowore extended his critique to Amaechi, scrutinising his performance during his tenure as Rivers State governor and questioning the efficacy of the railway project implemented under his leadership. He remarked, “One last thing I want to say is that when it comes to subsidy, when it comes to subsidy, right, transportation policy is important. We have a former governor, Rivers State here, Amechi, who built a rail line that went nowhere. If that rail line was working, subsidy would have been working for the people of Rivers State. They’re not attacking you. But your records are here in Rivers State.”

Sowore emphasised that citizens should evaluate political figures based on their track records of success and failure, asserting that numerous individuals who have held public office must account to the electorate for Nigeria's current state. Regarding the divisive fuel subsidy debate, Sowore reiterated his commitment to not eliminating it, contending that government aid should primarily benefit less privileged Nigerians, not the affluent. He further vowed that any individuals implicated in the theft of public funds would be brought to justice should he assume the presidency.

In response, Amaechi countered Sowore's assertions, refuting the characterisation of his past performance. He defended his extensive political background and the coalition that includes former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar. Amaechi affirmed the coalition's resolve to unseat the incumbent All Progressives Congress (APC), alleging that the political system had fostered an environment where corruption and electoral malpractices flourished. He further defended his ministerial appointments, stating that as Minister of Transport, he ensured equitable representation from various regions of the country within his ministry.

Peter Obi presented an alternative approach to addressing insecurity, directly correlating the issue with widespread poverty and Nigeria's inability to establish a robust, productive economy. The Nigeria Democratic Congress candidate asserted that Nigeria's poverty was not intrinsic but rather a consequence of pervasive corruption, ineffective leadership, and insufficient investment in agriculture and other vital productive sectors. He posited that alleviating poverty and transitioning Nigeria from a consumer-driven economy to a productive one would be fundamental in effectively combating insecurity.

Obi additionally criticised the political elite for capitalising on ethnic and religious fault lines, contending that politicians were responsible for exacerbating divisions not inherently shared by average Nigerians. He declared: “Nigeria is poor because those of us who are leaders are stealing the wealth of Nigeria and driving Nigeria into poverty. We can decide. Nigeria is poor today because it is not a productive country. Nigeria is one of the hungriest countries in the world. We got worse in the past three years. Where we now move from where we are to 109 in the hungriest country. Some of you might not know that in the past two years, Ukraine, that is at war, gave us grain to fight hunger. We are hungry because Nigeria is not a productive country. If we decide today to invest in critical areas of development, which include pulling people out of poverty, by investing in agriculture, we can make more money from agriculture than we make from oil”, he emphasised.

Obi expressed lament over the prevailing political climate, stating, “All is fair in politics. Because when people have broken the rules and everything, Today in Nigeria, we have a situation where we are saying, What is our qualification to be president?”