- Says it smacks of deceit
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has criticised the Federal government’s 30-day petrol discount initiative, describing it as an attempt by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to reintroduce fuel subsidy through the back door.
The opposition party also dismissed the initiative as “tokenism and deceit,” arguing that the government’s decision to offer discounted petrol at Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) retail outlets would not address the economic hardship Nigerians have faced since the removal of fuel subsidy.
The Federal, on Thursday, announced the 30-day discount on petrol sold at NNPC stations, with priority given to public transport operators nationwide.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, making the announcement, said the arrangement was not a subsidy but a measure to sell petrol at cost.
“We are offering a discount on petrol dispensed by NNPC Limited for the next 30 days in the first instance, with priority for public transporters nationwide. So, it’s not a subsidy. The government is just saying we sell to you at cost,” Oyedele said.
However, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, the NDC rejected the government’s explanation, describing the initiative as “nothing but tokenism and a Greek gift from a government that whimsically removed fuel subsidy without proper consideration, consultation, or cushions for Nigerians.”
The party questioned the impact of the proposed discount on Nigerians who, it alleged, had lost their jobs and businesses following the removal of the subsidy.
“Nigerians cannot be deceived,” the NDC declared, asking: “What happens to the millions of Nigerians who lost their jobs and whose businesses collapsed as a result of the callous and poorly planned removal of subsidy?”
It also raised concerns about the state of public healthcare, asking what would happen to people who allegedly lost their lives in poorly equipped government hospitals following the economic difficulties associated with the policy.
The opposition party further accused the Tinubu administration of attempting to use the petrol discount to address growing public discontent, insisting that the initiative amounted to an indirect return to the subsidy regime.
“The attempt to reintroduce petrol subsidy through the backdoor is not only mischievous but a sign of a government in free fall, ready to clutch at anything to survive,” the statement said.
The NDC also questioned whether NNPC retail outlets could adequately serve Nigeria’s population through the proposed arrangement, warning that the concentration of discounted petrol sales at designated stations could create logistical challenges.
“Even the bogus promise to dispense discounted fuel at designated NNPC retail outlets is not pragmatic. How many such outlets exist in Nigeria to serve over 200 million Nigerians?” the party asked.
It further raised the possibility of overcrowding at filling stations, questioning whether the initiative could trigger stampedes capable of causing fatalities.
“Is this not the recipe for another stampede that could have many more Nigerians trampled to death at the filling stations?” the statement added.
The party said the proposed discount raised broader questions about the state of the Nigerian economy, arguing that the initiative was insufficient to address the country’s economic challenges.
“Several questions beg for answers, but the only answer staring Nigerians in the face is that the economy is in a tailspin and at a tipping point,” the NDC said, adding that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had failed to rescue the country from what it described as the threat of economic collapse.
The party, however, said it believed a change in political leadership could offer an alternative, declaring its support for Peter Obi as its preferred presidential candidate.
“His Excellency Peter Obi, under the NDC, will put Nigeria back on the right track. A New Nigeria is POssible with Obi,” the statement said.
The NDC urged Nigerians to support Obi and other candidates of the party in the 2027 general election, specifically calling on voters to turn out on January 16, 2027, to vote against the APC-led government.