PDP demands reversal of petrol price hike

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the federal government to swiftly reverse the recent hike in petrol prices.

On Tuesday, it was observed that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited raised the price of petrol across its retail outlets. Prices at other fuel stations nationwide also surged, ranging from N855 per litre to over N1,000.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP spokesperson, condemned the increase as a “punishing hike” and a “cruel affront to the sensibilities and well-being of Nigerians.”

“The reckless increase in fuel prices, especially at this critical time, is a recipe for disaster. Nigerians are already struggling under the severe economic hardships imposed by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led APC administration, and this move only exacerbates their suffering,” the statement read.

Ologunagba argued that the “constant rise” in petrol prices, “without consideration for the people’s welfare, is akin to pushing Nigerians to the brink and provoking them to react.”

He criticized the APC administration as being “anti-people,” indifferent, and oblivious to the struggles of millions of Nigerians who are unable to afford basic necessities like food, medicine, and family support due to the soaring cost of living brought about by what he described as the Tinubu administration’s “insensitive and reckless” policies.

The PDP spokesperson claimed that, under Tinubu’s leadership, 150 million Nigerians have been plunged below the poverty line. He further noted that businesses are collapsing daily, with inflation soaring above 34 percent and unemployment exceeding 40 percent.

“There is virtually no hope under the current APC government’s policies, as major multinational companies continue to exit the country en masse due to poorly conceived and poorly implemented macroeconomic policies,” he said.

“With the dire state of our nation today, our party questions what President Tinubu discusses with foreign leaders during his numerous overseas trips, especially in nations where leaders prioritize the welfare of their citizens.”

Ologunagba reminded Nigerians that the PDP has repeatedly offered constructive advice and suggestions on economic management, which the APC government, in its arrogance and failure, has ignored.

The PDP has called on President Tinubu to spare the country from further socio-economic turmoil by immediately reversing the latest fuel price hike and reconsidering all the life-draining policies of the APC government.

He concluded by stating that with effective, transparent, and innovative resource management, leveraging economic potential, comparative advantage, and national refining capacity, petrol should not be sold for more than N250 per litre in the country.