Former Cross River State Governor and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate, Donald Duke, has said he would work towards reducing the price of petrol to about ₦300 per litre if elected president in the 2027 presidential election.
Duke made the pledge while appearing on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, where he spoke on his plans for the economy and his expectations for the 2027 election.
The former governor said reducing the cost of petrol would be one of the measures he would pursue because of the role fuel plays in Nigeria’s economy.
When asked what he considered a realistic price for petrol under his administration, Duke responded: “Try and bring it to about ₦300.”
He explained that the availability and affordability of fuel were important to the productivity of Nigerians and the wider economy.
According to him, government should create conditions that allow citizens to work, move goods and services and carry out their businesses without excessive pressure from energy costs.
“I’ve said severally that the function of government is to ensure the productivity of their citizens within a safe and orderly environment. Fuel drives your economy. It should be available. It should be affordable,” he said.
Duke’s position comes amid continued concerns over the cost of petrol and its impact on transportation, food prices, businesses and household expenses.
The former governor had also previously argued that Nigeria should take advantage of its crude oil resources to make petroleum products more affordable for Nigerians.
In September, Duke said petrol could be sold for between ₦200 and ₦300 per litre if crude meant for domestic refining was made available at the cost of production instead of being priced strictly according to international market rates.
He argued that the government could sell other by-products of crude oil at commercial rates and use the proceeds to reduce the effective cost of petrol and diesel.
Duke has maintained that his position should not be interpreted as a call for the return of the traditional fuel subsidy system.
Instead, he has argued for a model that takes Nigeria’s crude production costs and domestic energy needs into account.
The PRP candidate also spoke about the political direction of the country ahead of the 2027 general election.
Duke said the opposition should not approach the election simply as an opportunity to remove the All Progressives Congress (APC) from power.
He said political parties seeking to challenge the ruling party must first agree on what they want to achieve for the country.
“The objective shouldn’t be to move the APC and replace it with another person. First of all, the real objective is: where are we taking Nigeria to? We must have a common vision,” he said.
Several opposition figures including Duke have been discussing possible cooperation ahead of the election, with questions around the possibility of a broad coalition remaining a major issue in the opposition camp.
Duke said any such arrangement would need to be based on a clear national direction rather than simply an agreement to defeat the APC.
He also raised concerns about the credibility of the electoral process ahead of the 2027 poll.
According to him, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has the responsibility of restoring confidence among Nigerians who have become doubtful about the commission’s ability to conduct elections that are widely accepted as free and fair.
“The onus is on them, INEC, actually to convince Nigerians that there will be free and fair elections. Nigerians have become very cynical and sceptical of INEC, and I’m one of them,” Duke said.
Duke entered the 2027 presidential race after emerging as the PRP’s candidate at its presidential primary held in May 2026.
His emergence was later challenged in court by another PRP presidential aspirant, Yakubu Kingsley, who questioned the process that produced Duke as the party’s candidate.
Kingsley had asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to nullify Duke’s emergence, citing issues relating to party membership, the primary election and alleged over-voting in some states.
The court, however, dismissed the suit in September after holding that it was statute-barred and that the plaintiff also failed to establish the claims on their merits.
The court further held that some of the issues raised concerning party membership were internal matters of the political party.
With the legal challenge dismissed, Duke remains the PRP presidential candidate as the party prepares for the 2027 election.
