The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticized the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu, labeling them as anti-people following the recent hike in fuel prices across Nigeria.
This comes after the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) adjusted the fuel price to ₦885 per liter at its filling stations on Tuesday, despite earlier denials from the federal government that it had authorized such an increase.
In response to this development, the PDP, through a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, expressed strong disapproval of the fuel price hike. The party described the increase as an insult to the sensibility and wellbeing of Nigerians, accusing the Tinubu-led government of exacerbating the suffering and hardship experienced by citizens.
The PDP rejected the price increase and demanded its immediate reversal, along with a call for a review of other policies implemented by the current administration.
The statement from the PDP reads: “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rejects the punishing increase in the pump price of fuel to over N1,000 per liter in various parts of the country describing it as a brutal assault on the sensibility and wellbeing of Nigerians by the insensitive and arrogant All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.
“The thoughtless increase in fuel price especially at this time, is a huge recipe for crisis as Nigerians cannot bear its worsening effect on the suffocating economic hardship which they currently face under the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led APC administration.
“The secretive and corrupt administration of the petroleum sector and persistent increase in fuel price under the Tinubu-administration without due regard to the wellbeing of the people is akin to pushing Nigerians to the wall and daring them to do their worst.
“The APC administration has consistently shown itself to be anti-people, unconcerned and deaf to the agonies of millions of Nigerians who can no longer afford their daily meals, medications, and basic support for families due to the catastrophic high cost of living occasioned by the insensitive and reckless policies of the Tinubu administration.
“Today, under the Tinubu-led APC administration over 150 million Nigerians have sunk below the poverty line, businesses are collapsing daily as the Naira now exchanges for over N1,600 to a Dollar with over 34% inflation rate and over 40% unemployment rate which are expected to rise further with the latest draconian increase in the price of fuel.
“There is practically no hope in sight under the current APC government policies as major multi-national companies continue to exit our country in droves in the face of ill-conceived and ill-implemented macro-economic policies.
“The admission by the APC-led Federal Government that it has handed the fate of Nigerians to oil racketeers in the name of a free market economy further validates the position of the PDP that the Tinubu-led administration has abdicated the primary purpose of government; which is to provide for the welfare and security of the citizens.
“President Tinubu is the Minister of Petroleum Resources and cannot exonerate his government and officials from the secretive and fraudulent management of the petroleum sector which is fast pushing our nation’s economy to the precipice.
“Moreover, it is inexplicable that the APC administration continues to increase fuel price despite the scandalous revelation in the public domain that it is secretly paying a whopping N5.4 trillion as fuel subsidy for 2024.
“The APC government has now become an enabler of a cabal of corrupt APC rent-seekers who apparently derive pleasure in inflicting pains on Nigerians while hugely benefiting from the proceeds of incessant increase in fuel price to satisfy and fund their luxury appetite and consumption.
“With the hopeless state of affairs of our nation today, our Party wonders what President Tinubu, during his numerous trips abroad, says to his foreign counterparts in nations where leaders prioritize the welfare of their people!
“Nigerians will recall that the PDP had on several occasions offered constructive advice and suggestions on the management of the economy which the APC government in its arrogance in failure ignored.
“Our Party restates that with a deft, transparent and innovative management of resources, economic potentials, comparative advantage and national refining capacity, petrol should not sell more than N250 per liter in Nigeria.
“The PDP calls on President Tinubu to save the country from further socio-economic dislocation by immediately reversing the latest provocative increase in fuel price and revisiting all life-discounting and suffocating policies of the APC government.”
