# Issues should dominate as campaigns kick-off

> Presidential candidates face economic challenges as fuel subsidies and inflation dominate 2027 election debates.
- Title: Issues should dominate as campaigns kick-off | Shortify
- Summary: Presidential candidates face economic challenges as fuel subsidies and inflation dominate 2027 election debates. Nigerian presidential candidates must…
- Keywords: nigerian elections, fuel subsidies, inflation, power shortages, oil looting, 2027 presidential campaign, nigerian economy, governance frameworks, news, politics, Issues, dominate
- Source: Premium Times Nigeria — https://premiumtimesng.com/opinion/editorial/918160-editorial-issues-should-dominate-as-campaigns-kick-off.html
- Author: Premium Times
- Published: 2026-10-19T05:53:52+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: nigerian elections, fuel subsidies, inflation, power shortages, oil looting, 2027 presidential campaign, nigerian economy, governance frameworks, news, politics
## Campaigns kick off
Campaigns for the 2027 general elections have started with 18 political parties jostling for the presidency.
## National issues dominate
Nigerians expect presidential candidates to address oil looting, inflation, and power shortages through governance frameworks.
## Fuel subsidy debate
Atiku Abubakar promises to restore fuel subsidies if elected, a reversal from his 2023 position.
## Tinubu's criticism
Tinubu calls Atiku's stance on fuel subsidies a 'demonstration of serious ignorance of the economy and governance'.
## Subsidy impact
₦15 trillion saved from subsidy removal between June 2023 and December 2025 has not improved citizens' lives.
## Economic hardship
The spiralling inflation and deregulated forex market have made life unbearable for most Nigerians.
## Government response
The government announced transport fare reductions, CNG buses, and a ₦1,350 per litre fuel price cap.
## Price cap failure
All designated stations have sold petrol above the ₦1,350 price cap within three weeks.
## Subsidy scam
A 2012 investigation uncovered ₦1.7 trillion stolen from the country through fuel subsidies.
## Accountability gaps
The immediate GMD of NNPC has refused to explain ₦210 trillion expenditure from 2017 to 2023.
## Power crisis
National electricity output vacillates between 3,000 and 5,000 megawatts with industries spending ₦1.34 trillion on alternatives.
## Youth crisis
Kidnapping, banditry and insurgency have reached pandemic levels in Plateau, Benue and Zamfara states.
## Refinery losses
The government plans to inject $1.8 billion into refinery maintenance after sinking $18 billion in two decades.
## Election stakes
Presidential candidates must address oil looting, inflation, and power shortages to win public trust in 2027 elections.
## Key takeaway

Nigerian presidential candidates must address oil looting, inflation, and power shortages to win public trust in 2027 elections.