A Kaduna-based Islamic scholar and former Special Adviser to two former governors of Kaduna State, Sheikh Haliru Maraya, has warned politicians seeking elective offices in 2027 against making unrealistic promises to Nigerians in their bid to secure votes.
Maraya urged presidential aspirants to be honest about the country’s economic challenges and tell Nigerians clearly what is achievable and what is not.
He spoke while reacting to calls by some politicians for the return of fuel subsidy, saying the country could not afford the financial burden associated with the policy.
“Presidential candidates should always tell people the truth. They should not deceive Nigerians simply because they want to win votes. God does not like lies and deception,” he said.
The cleric said Nigeria’s current economic situation could not sustain a return to the old fuel subsidy regime, which he described as financially burdensome.
“At present, Nigeria’s economy, to be honest, cannot afford to continue paying fuel subsidies as it did in the past. If the subsidy is brought back, the economy could collapse within a short time, and the government may be unable to do other important things,” Maraya said.
He said available estimates indicated that Nigeria consumes between 47 million and 64 million litres of petrol daily, while the total cost of a litre, including refining, transportation, insurance and customs charges, was about N1,218.
According to him, restoring the subsidy would require the government to commit huge resources that could otherwise be invested in infrastructure and other development projects.
“If Nigeria takes on the cost of the subsidy as it did in the past, it would spend about N52.3 billion every day. That would amount to about N1.6 trillion every month and more than N19 trillion every year,” he said.
Maraya questioned where the country would source such funds, particularly given the size of the national budget.
He noted that Nigeria’s 2026 budget was N68.3 trillion, stressing that politicians should consider the economic implications of their campaign promises before making them.
He urged those seeking the presidency and other elective positions to fear God and avoid promising what they know they cannot deliver.
“People should not make promises they cannot fulfil simply because they want votes and political power. Later, such a person may come back and apologise to Nigerians, saying that they did not know how difficult the situation was,” he said.
Maraya said Nigeria needed leaders who would tell citizens the truth about the economy and take difficult but responsible decisions in the national interest.
“We Nigerians need leaders who will tell us the truth about the state of our economy and then take the right decisions concerning the removal of fuel subsidy,” he said.
He also appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the removal of the subsidy, arguing that resources previously spent on subsidising petrol could be redirected to development.
“We should be patient with the removal of the subsidy because the government was spending N52 billion every day on it. The money saved can be used to carry out other development projects for the country and its people,” he said.
The Islamic scholar, however, called for the rehabilitation of Nigeria’s existing refineries and the construction of new ones to reduce dependence on imported petroleum products.
“We hope Nigerians will continue to be patient until our four refineries are repaired. We also hope that new refineries will be built in the future so that some of the problems we are facing in the country can be solved,” he said.
Maraya acknowledged that Nigerians would prefer a smoother transition but said the country’s economic situation required difficult choices.
“We all prefer everything to go smoothly, but Allah did not make it happen that way,” he said.
He warned that restoring fuel subsidy without a sustainable financing plan could place further pressure on the economy and disrupt government operations.
“If the fuel subsidy is brought back, within a short period, economic activities could come to a standstill and government operations could also be affected,” Maraya said.