Peter Obi backs Tinubu’s naira float policy, vows to retain it if elected

The former governor of Anambra State and the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2027 general election, Peter Obi, has assured that he would retain President Bola Tinubu’s naira float policy if elected.

This was made known by Peter Obi during an exclusive interview shown on Arise Television on Thursday, September 10, 2026.

The naira float policy of the Tinubu administration has elicited mixed reactions from Nigerians, with those in support pointing to restoration of investor confidence, transparency as well as a halt in the massive drain on public funds caused by defending an unrealistic official rate, while critics point to massive naira devaluation, soaring inflation and hardship for local businesses.

What he is saying

Obi said he would not defend the naira, but would rather focus on increasing productivity to make it more valuable to Nigerians.

• When asked to name one policy of the Tinubu administration that he would retain if elected Nigeria’s president, Obi said. ‘’Yes, there is one, it’s floating the naira. I’m not going to defend it, but I’m going to put productivity to make it more valuable to the people.’’

When asked for clarification on restoration of fuel subsidy, which Atiku Abubakar said he will bring back, when addressing his northern voters, Peter Obi rejected the idea, saying that the poverty in the north was not worsened by the removal of fuel subsidy, but by other things.

• ‘’I have said it before, and I’ll repeat it again, if there is one president that the North will celebrate, it’s me. I know the problems happening in the North. I will deal with the issue of poverty the way it’s not been dealt with before, in a new, non-corrupt way, where they will see it.
• ‘’The north has an asset that no other area can say they have, and that asset is agriculture. We will invest in it, we will give subsidy in it, we will ensure that we take all those poor people, almajiris back to education, support them in different areas.
• ‘’And this fuel you are talking about, we will moderate the price all over Nigeria, it’s not only affecting them. The poverty in the North was not worsened because of the removal of subsidy, there are other things,’’ he said.

More to follow…