PDP to Tinubu: Reverse Fuel Price Hike, Save Nigeria from Collapse

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the increase in the pump price of fuel to over N1,000 per liter in various parts of Nigeria, calling it a “brutal assault” on the sensibility and well-being of Nigerians by the “insensitive and arrogant” All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.

In a press release signed by Hon. Debo Ologunagba, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, the party described the hike as thoughtless, particularly during a period of severe economic hardship. According to the PDP, this increase is a “huge recipe for crisis” as Nigerians are already struggling with the effects of the current economic difficulties under the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led APC government.

The PDP criticized the administration’s management of the petroleum sector, describing it as secretive and corrupt. The party claimed that the repeated increases in fuel prices under President Tinubu, without regard for the welfare of the people, are akin to pushing Nigerians to the brink and daring them to react.

The PDP further accused the APC administration of being anti-people, indifferent, and unresponsive to the sufferings of millions of Nigerians who are finding it increasingly difficult to afford basic necessities like food, medications, and other essential support for their families due to the high cost of living. The party attributed this economic hardship to the “insensitive and reckless” policies of the Tinubu administration.

“Today, under the Tinubu-led APC administration, over 150 million Nigerians have fallen below the poverty line,” the statement read. “Businesses are collapsing daily, the Naira now exchanges at over N1,600 to a dollar, with inflation soaring above 34% and unemployment exceeding 40%. These rates are expected to worsen with the latest draconian increase in fuel prices.”

The PDP expressed concern that there appears to be no hope under the current APC government’s policies, noting that major multinational companies are exiting Nigeria in response to what it termed “ill-conceived and poorly implemented” macroeconomic policies.

The party also took issue with the APC-led Federal Government’s admission that it has effectively handed over the fate of Nigerians to oil racketeers under the guise of a free market economy. The PDP argues that this admission confirms their position that the Tinubu administration has abandoned its primary responsibility to ensure the welfare and security of the citizens.

As the Minister of Petroleum Resources, President Tinubu, according to the PDP, cannot absolve himself and his government from the “secretive and fraudulent” management of the petroleum sector, which is rapidly driving Nigeria’s economy to the brink of collapse.

The PDP also criticized the government for continuing to increase fuel prices, despite revelations that it is secretly paying N5.4 trillion as fuel subsidies for 2024. The party alleged that the APC government has become an enabler of a corrupt cabal of rent-seekers within the party who profit from these incessant price hikes, further exacerbating the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.

In light of the current state of the nation, the PDP questioned what President Tinubu communicates to his foreign counterparts during his numerous trips abroad, particularly in countries where leaders prioritize the welfare of their citizens.

The PDP recalled that it had repeatedly offered constructive advice on managing the economy, but these suggestions were ignored by the APC government, which the party described as arrogant in its failure.

The PDP reiterated its stance that with proper, transparent, and innovative management of resources, economic potential, comparative advantages, and national refining capacity, petrol should not cost more than N250 per liter in Nigeria.

The party called on President Tinubu to save the country from further socio-economic dislocation by immediately reversing the latest increase in fuel prices and reviewing all harmful and oppressive policies of the APC government.