The NDC presidential candidate says his subsidy stance has not changed, and he admits he has no evidence he won in 2023.
Peter Obi says there is no evidence he won the 2023 election. The Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate made the admission in an interview with BBC Africa. During the same conversation, he defended his fuel subsidy stance and promised to lead the fight against corruption personally. As a result, the remarks sparked fresh debate online. Social media users reacted quickly to the exchange.
The interviewer pressed him on the 2023 vote. Obi has said repeatedly that the election was rigged, yet the courts dismissed his challenges. When asked for proof that he won, he answered directly. “There’s no evidence. Everything is not based on evidence,” he said. Even so, Obi maintains that he believes he won the contest.
Obi also showed reluctance to revisit the past. In the interview, he said he does not like going back to it. Similarly, he told another interviewer in 2023 that he no longer wanted to talk about that election. Nevertheless, the questions keep returning because his claim remains central to his politics.
Official results showed Bola Tinubu winning with 8,794,726 votes. Atiku Abubakar followed with 6,984,520 votes, and Obi placed third with 6,101,533. Obi was a first-time contestant. He then took his case to court, but the judges rejected his challenges.
On subsidy, Obi rejected claims that he has changed course. He said his position has always included concern about corruption in the subsidy regime. “Go and check out my tape from day one,” he said. The interviewer asked how Nigerians can trust him after he has said different things in the past. Furthermore, Obi insisted that Nigerians will see what he said. “I’m not changing,” he added.
According to Gistlover, Obi went further and said he would restore the subsidy. “If I win, I’ll bring back fuel subsidy and I’ll remove the corruption,” he said. However, critics online called him confused, because the government already removed the subsidy. Meanwhile, other users said they would keep backing him.
His position drew scrutiny before. In June 2025, Obi told Arise TV that removing the subsidy was necessary. However, he said the government should have acted in a “gradual and organised” way. He also acknowledged that the old regime was full of criminality and corruption. In addition, he questioned how the government used the savings.
The Presidency hit back at the time. Special Adviser Daniel Bwala accused Obi of craving power without understanding economics and governance. Meanwhile, the government says it now invests the savings in real infrastructure.
Pump prices have climbed since the removal. Petrol rose from N190 to over N850 per litre after Tinubu’s May 29, 2023 announcement, according to a 2025 report. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo even argued that inflation has brought the subsidy back. Therefore, the debate over the policy continues.
On corruption, the interviewer asked how Obi would differ from the late Muhammadu Buhari. Buhari also campaigned against graft, yet people in his government still stole public funds. Obi answered that the difference would be personal. “The difference is that I would be in charge,” he said.
According to Obi, a leader who does not steal can cut corruption sharply. He said the same applies when the leader’s wife and family stay out of government business. In his words, that alone reduces corruption by about 50%.
The interview adds to a long-running debate over subsidy, corruption and trust in Nigerian politics. Obi’s critics see a shifting message. In contrast, his supporters see a steady focus on fighting corruption. Both camps will likely read the interview differently. Sojworldnews will report any response from Obi’s camp or the Presidency. Meanwhile, readers can expect more reactions as clips from the interview circulate.
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