“Close Your Mouth”: Amaechi, Sowore, Obi Clash Over Fuel Subsidy in Heated NBA Debate

The 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, turned into a fiery political battleground on Monday as three prominent political figures engaged in a heated exchange over fuel subsidy removal, governance records, and Nigeria’s political future ahead of the 2027 elections. The panel session, which was one of the major highlights of the conference themed “Beyond Limits,” brought together presidential hopefuls including Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC), Rotimi Amaechi, Vice Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), who offered competing solutions to Nigeria’s worsening economic and governance challenges. What began as a policy debate quickly escalated into shouting matches, personal attacks, and sharp exchanges as the politicians traded barbs over their records in public office.

Omoyele Sowore, the AAC presidential candidate, opened the debate by asserting his long-standing opposition to fuel subsidy removal, accusing past and present leaders of shifting positions at the expense of ordinary Nigerians. “If there’s anyone who has been consistent about non-removal of fuel subsidy, it has been me. And it took Amaechi and his principal almost 10 years to catch up with me. They have now reversed their position on fuel subsidy,” Sowore declared. Sowore challenged the economic justification for the policy, arguing that the real beneficiaries of subsidy removal were political elites and state governors rather than the masses. “The question about subsidy is, who are you subsidising? You are subsidising the elite. You are subsidising the governors. The only people who are doing well since they removed subsidy are the governors of states,” he said. He also rejected the impression that subsidy removal was a new policy, recalling that previous administrations had removed or attempted to remove subsidies while promising Nigerians better economic conditions. “I was a student 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 said. Referencing an earlier comment by Amaechi, Sowore noted: “I love one thing that Amaechi said. He said, apart from Sowore and Adebayo, the rest of us have been in government and we have failed. They have no business coming back. You guys should be apologising to the Nigerian people.”

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A visibly frustrated Amaechi quickly interjected, cutting Sowore off mid-sentence to refute the characterization of his remarks. “Stop lying. Stop lying, Sowore. I said, judge us by our achievements,” Amaechi fired back. Unfazed by the interruption, Sowore turned his sights directly to Amaechi’s record as a former governor of Rivers State and former Minister of Transportation. “When it comes to subsidy, right? Transportation policy is important. We have a former governor of Rivers State here, Amaechi, 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,” Sowore argued. Responding, Amaechi defended his record as governor and as former Minister, highlighting his administration’s construction of roads, primary schools, and major rail projects like the Lagos-Ibadan and Abuja-Kaduna railways. The ADC vice-presidential candidate quipped: “Where are Rivers lawyers? Let them take Sowore around and show him what I did as a former Governor.” Amaechi asked lawyers from Lagos, Ogun, and Kaduna states to confirm if the railway systems were still working in their states, noting that the Lagos-Ibadan railway was operational during his tenure and questioning why it was not working under President Bola Tinubu. When Sowore interjected again, Amaechi lost his cool and declared: “Moreover, Sowore, when politicians are talking, close your mouth.”

Turning his criticism to Peter Obi, Sowore alleged that Obi had failed to subsidise education during his tenure as Anambra State governor. “Peter Obi did not subsidise education in his state. Lecturers and doctors went on strike for 13 months. You may like him as a person, but he did not perform as a governor. That is the truth,” Amaechi said. Amaechi also argued that transportation policy should form part of the conversation around fuel subsidy, and he defended his own record as Minister of Transportation, saying the Lagos-Ajaokuta railway was operational during his tenure. He also used the opportunity to issue a broader challenge to Nigerians, urging voters to judge politicians by competence rather than ethnic or sectional loyalties. “A coalition should be based on performance. And I speak to you, you should do a referendum. We have all served in government. Atiku has served in government, Peter Obi has served in government, I have served in government and others. Assess us by our last performance and choose,” he said. He warned that Nigeria would continue to struggle with underdevelopment if Nigerians continued to vote along ethnic lines without considering the past performance of candidates. “Don’t just go because you are from Ikwerre or you are from Omoku and choose your own. No! That’s why we are running down,” Amaechi said.

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Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), defended the necessity of removing fuel subsidy, maintaining that while he supports the policy, his administration would have executed it differently to directly benefit citizens. “I subscribe and I maintain that you need to remove subsidy. Mismanagement of the proceeds should not be the reason for not removing it,” Obi said. Obi argued that the problem was not the policy itself but the failure of government to properly utilise the resources saved from it. “What we should have done is that when we remove subsidy, we would have given the people alternative usage for the subsidy. What we have today is that that removal and the attendant resources being recovered are also being mismanaged and stolen,” he said. Citing reported savings of approximately N16 trillion from the subsidy removal, Obi noted that just five per cent of that amount—about N800 billion—could be used to build primary healthcare centres across all 8,809 wards in Nigeria. He also suggested that the savings could have been added to Nigeria’s sovereign wealth fund to generate long-term returns. “If they had saved the money and decided to do like any other country, we would have had $10 billion added to the sovereign wealth fund, which, if you add it today, we will be getting about $10 billion every month, which we can use for a purpose,” Obi said. Obi also emphasised that a Nigerian economy driven by production rather than consumption would work wonders for the country. “Nigeria is poor today because it is not a productive country. Some of us might not be aware that two years ago, Ukraine, which is at war, gave us grain. We are hungry today because Nigeria is not a productive country,” he said.

The drama took an interesting turn when a young lawyer at the conference challenged Amaechi’s reported claim that Sowore could not win a presidential election, arguing that opposition politicians should unite and suggesting that Peter Obi remains the most popular among the contenders. The intervention highlighted the growing appetite among Nigerians for a coalition of opposition forces ahead of the 2027 elections. The NBA conference thus provided one of the earliest major platforms for 2027 presidential hopefuls to publicly test their competing positions on governance, economic management, and accountability, setting the stage for a potentially intense political contest ahead of the general elections. The clash over fuel subsidy—a policy that has significantly impacted the cost of living for millions of Nigerians—remains a central dividing line among the candidates, with Sowore opposing it outright, Obi supporting it but criticising its implementation, and Amaechi arguing for accountability and performance-based governance.

5,000 Zamfara Quran Reciters Hold Special Prayers for Tinubu/Shettima 2027 Re-election

Islamic scholars and students from across Zamfara State gathered in Gusau for a mass Qur’anic recitation and prayer session, seeking divine blessings for President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and Senator Abdulaziz Yari ahead of the 2027 general elections.

ZAMFARA STATE, Nigeria – About 5,000 Quranic reciters from across Zamfara State gathered on Sunday in Gusau, the state capital, to offer special prayers for the success of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima ahead of the 2027 general elections. The prayer session, organised by the United Youth Scholars for Preaching and Guidance, drew participants from over 250 Islamic schools across the 14 local government areas of Zamfara State. The event held at Maryam Mohammed Hall in Gusau included mass Qur’anic recitations and special supplications for peace, stability, and political success in Nigeria.

The special prayers were also dedicated to Senator Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar, following his recent appointment by President Tinubu as Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 election. Speaking at the event, the chairman of the association, Mallam Naziru Ibrahim Buda, disclosed that the gathering was aimed at seeking Allah’s blessings for the success of President Tinubu and the APC campaign council led by Senator Yari. He noted that members of the association had resolved to support the Tinubu administration following Yari’s appointment, setting aside any previous grievances. Buda emphasised that the initiative was not a response to current political developments alone, noting that the association has a long-standing tradition of organising Qur’anic recitation and special prayers every two months. However, he added that members had resolved to intensify their prayers for Tinubu and Yari following the appointment.

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The Islamic scholars also highlighted Senator Yari’s philanthropic gestures towards vulnerable people across the state, describing him as a longstanding supporter of Islamic organisations and Qur’anic education initiatives. According to Malam Hadi Suleiman, a former state Director of Tajweed, Yari’s contributions to Qur’anic education include the donation of 70 cars and 70 Hajj seats to competition winners, in addition to his support for orphans and vulnerable people.

Senator Yari, who was represented at the event by Hon. Aminu Adamu Dankwangila, expressed appreciation to the gathering for their support. Dankwangila prayed that President Tinubu, by the grace of Almighty God, would easily return for a second term in office, citing the administration’s efforts to restore peace and change the nation’s economic fortunes. Earlier, Senator Yari, speaking to journalists at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja after arriving from an overseas trip, expressed confidence that President Tinubu would secure a second term in office, declaring: “By God’s grace, he shall be the president come 2027”. The former Zamfara governor assured Nigerians that the APC would fulfill the promises it made during the 2023 election campaign.

Buda further disclosed that the group would soon commence grassroots mobilisation across communities, urging members and Islamic schools to continue praying for the success of the campaign council and peace in Zamfara and Nigeria. The association’s vice chairman, Malam Hadi Aminu, also called on Governor Dauda Lawal to appoint Hon. Abdulmalik Zubairu Zannah, who represents Maru/Bungudu Federal Constituency, as head of the state’s campaign team, citing confidence in Yari’s ability to deliver Zamfara for the Tinubu campaign.