The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has criticised the Federal Government’s 30-day petrol discount at Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) retail stations, describing the initiative as “tokenism and deceit”.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, the party said the temporary price reduction was inadequate to address the economic hardship it attributed to the removal of petrol subsidy in 2023.

The criticism followed the announcement by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, that NNPC Retail would forgo its petrol retail profit margin for an initial period of 30 days to ease the impact of rising fuel prices.

“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,” Mr Oyedele said.

The Federal Government said the measure was intended to cushion households and businesses against rising fuel costs, with public transport operators receiving priority.

However, the NDC argued that the intervention was too limited to address the wider consequences of the subsidy removal.

“This is 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 said.

The NDC questioned what it described as the absence of adequate support for Nigerians affected by higher fuel prices, citing alleged job losses, business closures and pressure on public healthcare services.

It also accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of attempting to reintroduce petrol subsidy “through the backdoor”, describing the policy as evidence of what it called the government’s failure to manage the economy.

Questions implementation

The party also questioned the capacity of NNPC retail outlets to provide discounted petrol to Nigerians across the country.

“How many such outlets exist in Nigeria to serve over 200 million Nigerians?” it asked.

The NDC warned that concentrating discounted sales at designated filling stations could lead to congestion and raise safety concerns.

“Is this not the recipe for another stampede that could have many more Nigerians trampled to death at the filling stations?” the statement said.

The party, however, did not provide evidence of any reported stampede linked to the discount or figures showing how many filling stations would participate in the scheme.

Background

President Tinubu announced the removal of petrol subsidy during his inauguration on 29 May 2023, triggering a sharp increase in fuel prices and transport costs.

The policy marked a major shift in Nigeria’s petroleum pricing system, with successive increases in petrol prices placing additional pressure on household spending and business operating costs.

The latest intervention has renewed debate over how the government can provide relief to consumers while maintaining its position that the subsidy regime has ended.

Mr Oyedele has maintained that the NNPC arrangement is not a return to subsidy because the company would absorb the reduction through its retail margin rather than receive direct government funding.

In a statement on Friday, the minister said the discount was a commercial decision intended to lower prices for consumers while potentially strengthening NNPC Retail’s business.

The government has also announced other measures to ease the impact of rising fuel costs, including initiatives involving compressed natural gas-powered transport and the removal of certain taxes, duties and illegal levies.

2027 election

The NDC linked its criticism to the 2027 general election, urging Nigerians to vote for its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and other party candidates.

“His Excellency Peter Obi, under the NDC, will put Nigeria back on the right track. A New Nigeria is POssible with Obi,” Mr Director said.

The party urged Nigerians to vote on 16 January 2027, the date stated in its release, to remove the All Progressives Congress-led government.

The Independent National Electoral Commission’s official timetable should be consulted to verify the date before publication.