67.4% of surveyed Nigerians back fuel subsidy restoration – SBM

ABUJA, Nigeria — 67.4% of surveyed Nigerian voters said they support restoring the petrol subsidy, compared with 19.2% who rejected the position, according to Wave 2 of the Nigeria 2027 Voter Sentiment Tracker by SBM Intelligence.

Kanyi Daily reports that SBM Intelligence surveyed 1,103 eligible voters through face-to-face interviews across 12 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), covering all six geopolitical zones. The research was conducted in urban and rural locations including markets, schools, viewing centres and hotels.

The report said petrol had become the second-most cited national issue among respondents at 18.2% and received the lowest performance rating for the current administration at 1.69 out of 4. According to the report, “It is now the second-most cited national problem at 18.2%, the government’s worst-rated issue at 1.69 out of 4, and the subject of a policy the public rejects by 67.4% to 19.2%.”

Petrol was the leading concern among respondents in the Southwest at 30.5% and South-South at 29.1%. It was also cited by 32.4% of rural respondents compared with 11.7% of urban respondents, while concern increased from 19.6% among voters aged 18 to 24 to 27.6% among those above 55.

The survey showed regional differences in the issues voters want addressed before the 2027 presidential election. Insecurity led in the Southeast at 62.6% and Northcentral at 47.5%, while debt was the leading concern in the Northeast at 28.3%. Petrol ranked first in the Southwest and South-South and second in the Northwest at 24.0%.

The report comes as petrol prices in parts of Nigeria rose to between ₦1,400 and ₦1,450 per litre, equivalent to roughly US$1.05 to US$1.09 at the latest reported official exchange rate of about ₦1,331.20 per US dollar. The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) said on September 19 that it does not have legal authority to set petrol pump prices.

Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, has said he would restore the petrol subsidy if elected in 2027. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has meanwhile pointed to savings from compressed natural gas-powered buses, including more than ₦3.5 billion (about US$2.63 million) in reported transportation savings during the first year of the Kaduna programme.

SBM Intelligence cautioned that the survey is a snapshot of stated sentiment among the respondents and does not adjust for historical turnout, population projections or voter-registration figures. It therefore does not represent a direct projection of the full 2027 electorate.