No fewer than 67.4 per cent of Nigerians surveyed have backed the restoration of the petrol subsidy, according to a new report by SBM Intelligence.
The finding was contained in the Wave 2 analysis of the Nigeria 2027 Voter Sentiment Tracker, titled, Nigeria 2027: A Narrower Race.
SBM Intelligence conducted face-to-face interviews with 1,103 eligible voters across 12 states and the Federal Capital Territory, covering the six geopolitical zones.
The respondents were interviewed in both urban and rural locations, including markets, schools, viewing centres and hotels.
The report, however, cautioned that the findings represent a snapshot of the views of those surveyed and do not account for historical voter turnout, population projections or INEC voter registration figures.
Petrol Becomes Major Election Issue
According to the report, petrol has emerged as one of the major issues shaping public sentiment ahead of the 2027 elections.
It ranked as the second-most cited national problem among respondents, accounting for 18.2 per cent.
The report also gave the government’s handling of the issue a performance score of 1.69 out of four.
SBM said 67.4 per cent of respondents rejected the current petrol pricing policy, while 19.2 per cent supported it.
Southwest, South-South Record Highest Concerns
The survey showed significant differences across the geopolitical zones.
In the South-West, petrol was the leading concern, cited by 30.5 per cent of respondents, followed by the economy at 20.2 per cent.
The South-South also ranked petrol as its biggest concern at 29.1 per cent, with the economy following at 21.1 per cent.
In the North-West, insecurity ranked first at 25 per cent, while petrol followed closely at 24 per cent.
In the South-East, insecurity dominated the concerns of respondents at 62.6 per cent, while the North-Central also recorded insecurity as its leading issue at 47.5 per cent.
Debt was the top concern in the North-East, where it accounted for 28.3 per cent of responses.
Rural Respondents More Concerned About Petrol
The survey also found a significant difference between rural and urban respondents.
Petrol was identified as the primary concern by 32.4 per cent of rural respondents, compared with 11.7 per cent of those living in urban areas.
Concern about petrol also increased with age, rising from 19.6 per cent among respondents aged 18 to 24 to 27.6 per cent among those above 55.
Finding Comes Amid Rising Pump Prices
The survey comes amid continued increases in petrol prices across parts of the country.
Recent checks cited in the report showed petrol selling for between N1,400 and N1,430 per litre in Lagos, while prices in Abuja ranged from N1,400 to N1,450 per litre.
The development has continued to fuel debate over the Federal Government’s decision to remove the petrol subsidy.
The Nigeria Labour Congress has also called for measures to cushion the impact of rising transportation costs on workers.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority said it lacked the legal authority to fix petrol pump prices, while promising increased surveillance against price gouging.
2027 Election Debate
The findings are expected to add fuel to the growing debate over petrol pricing as political parties and candidates prepare for the 2027 elections.
The survey indicates that while petrol is a major concern in some parts of the country, voters in other regions are more focused on insecurity, debt, the economy, jobs, health and other basic needs.
SBM Intelligence stressed that its findings should be viewed as a snapshot of stated sentiment among the respondents and not as a projection of the entire 2027 electorate.
