Obi, Amaechi, Sowore Clash Over Insecurity, Fuel Subsidy at NBA Conference

Presidential contenders Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi and Omoyele Sowore clashed over Nigeria’s security challenges, fuel subsidy, policing and governance during a heated political session at the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The session, held on Monday, August 24, brought together several politicians seeking to influence the direction of Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC), and Amaechi, the vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), presented sharply different positions on some of the country's most contentious issues.

The debate became particularly heated when Sowore challenged the records of politicians who had previously held public office, including Amaechi and Obi.

### Sowore attacks fuel subsidy policy

Sowore maintained his opposition to the removal of fuel subsidy, arguing that successive governments had failed to demonstrate meaningful benefits from the policy despite repeatedly promising that its removal would improve the Nigerian economy.

He questioned who actually benefited from fuel subsidy and accused political elites and state governors of benefiting more than ordinary Nigerians.

Sowore argued that the government should focus on policies that directly protect poor Nigerians rather than removing subsidies without providing adequate alternatives.

He also criticised the record of successive administrations since the subsidy debate began, noting that Nigerians had repeatedly been promised economic improvements after previous subsidy removals.

The AAC candidate subsequently turned his attention to Amaechi's record in government, particularly his tenure as Rivers State governor and Minister of Transportation.

Sowore criticised the railway projects associated with Amaechi's tenure and questioned their impact on ordinary Nigerians.

### Amaechi fires back

Amaechi strongly rejected Sowore's criticism and defended his record in public office.

The former Rivers State governor challenged Nigerians to assess politicians based on what they achieved while in government rather than simply listening to political promises.

At one point during the heated exchange, Amaechi told Sowore:

“Stop lying. Stop lying, Sowore. I said, judge us by our achievements.”

Amaechi defended projects undertaken during his time as governor and Minister of Transportation, including roads, schools and railway infrastructure.

He also challenged lawyers from Rivers State to show Sowore some of the projects carried out during his administration.

The former minister further argued that transportation policy should be considered alongside the fuel subsidy debate, pointing to railway projects executed during his tenure.

Amaechi also criticised Obi's record as governor of Anambra State, particularly in the areas of education and healthcare.

He cited industrial actions by lecturers and doctors during Obi's tenure as part of his argument that politicians who had previously governed should be judged by their records.

### Obi backs subsidy removal but attacks implementation

Obi took a different position from Sowore on the fuel subsidy question.

The former Anambra State governor maintained that fuel subsidy removal was necessary but argued that the major problem was what happened to the money saved after the policy was implemented.

Obi said mismanagement of the savings should not be used as an argument for returning to the subsidy regime.

“I subscribe and I maintain that you need to remove subsidy. Mismanagement of the proceeds should not be the reason for not removing it,” Obi said.

According to him, the government should have provided Nigerians with alternative benefits from the money saved through subsidy removal.

He specifically proposed investing a significant portion of the funds in primary healthcare.

Obi argued that even a relatively small percentage of the money recovered could transform healthcare delivery if properly invested at the ward level.

He cited N16 trillion as an illustration and said that five per cent of such an amount would amount to about N800 billion, which could be used to strengthen primary healthcare facilities.

“What we have today is that the removal and the attendant resources being recovered are also being mismanaged and stolen,” he said.

### Insecurity and state police dominate discussions

Beyond the fuel subsidy controversy, insecurity and the structure of policing also featured prominently during the conference.

The politicians offered different explanations for Nigeria's security challenges and proposed varying approaches to addressing them.

The debate came as the Federal Government continues to push reforms around state policing and policing structures.

Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, also participated in discussions at the conference and defended the government's proposed reforms on state police.

The debate over state police has become increasingly prominent ahead of the 2027 elections, with supporters arguing that state-level security structures would improve intelligence gathering and enable security agencies to respond more quickly to threats.

Opponents, however, have raised concerns about the possibility of state police being controlled or misused by state governors.

### Political battle ahead of 2027

The heated exchanges at the NBA conference provided an early glimpse into the policy battles likely to dominate Nigeria's 2027 presidential election.

With several opposition figures already positioning themselves for the election, issues including insecurity, the economy, fuel subsidy, unemployment, policing and governance are expected to remain central to the political debate.

The appearance of Obi, Sowore, Amaechi and other opposition figures at the conference also provided an opportunity for Nigerians to compare their positions on major national issues.

While the politicians differed sharply on how Nigeria should address its economic and security challenges, the debate underscored the growing political competition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The exchanges between Sowore and Amaechi, in particular, turned the session into one of the most closely watched moments of the conference, with both politicians defending their records and challenging each other's positions.

The NBA conference is expected to continue generating political discussions as more presidential hopefuls outline their plans for Nigeria ahead of the 2027 elections.