The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has criticised the Federal Government’s 30-day petrol discount at Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) retail outlets, describing the initiative as “tokenism and deceit”….
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has criticised the Federal Government’s 30-day petrol discount at Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) retail outlets, describing the initiative as “tokenism and deceit”.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, the party said the measure was inadequate to address the economic hardship Nigerians had faced since the removal of petrol subsidy.
The NDC was reacting to the announcement by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, that NNPC would offer a petrol discount for an initial period of 30 days, with priority given to public transport operators nationwide.
Oyedele had said: “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.”
However, the opposition party described the initiative as a belated response to the 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 statement said.
The party questioned what measures the government had put in place to address the impact of the policy on people who lost their jobs and businesses, as well as Nigerians struggling with access to affordable healthcare.
The NDC also questioned the practicality of limiting the discount to designated NNPC retail outlets, asking whether the available stations could adequately serve a population of more than 200 million people.
“How many such outlets exist in Nigeria to serve over 200 million Nigerians? Is this not the recipe for another stampede that could have many more Nigerians trampled to death at the filling stations?” the party asked.
It further described the initiative as an attempt to reintroduce petrol subsidy “through the backdoor”, arguing that the discount did not offer a comprehensive solution to the country’s economic challenges.
The party declared that the administration of President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) had failed to adequately address the hardship facing Nigerians.
“The APC has shown itself glaringly incapable of rescuing the country from imminent collapse,” the statement said.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general election, the NDC urged Nigerians to vote for Peter Obi and other candidates of the party, saying it believed a change of government would put the country on a better path.
The statement called on voters to turn out on 16 January 2027 to support Obi and other NDC candidates.
The criticism comes as the government’s announced petrol discount draws attention to the debate over fuel pricing, the removal of subsidies and measures to ease the cost of living.
