The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has taken a swipe at the Federal Government over its decision to introduce a 30-day discount on petrol through Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) retail outlets, describing the move as “tokenism and deceit” that cannot reverse the economic hardship inflicted on Nigerians by the removal of fuel subsidy.
The opposition party on Thursday said the temporary fuel discount was an admission by the President Bola Tinubu administration that its economic policies had failed to deliver the promised relief to citizens.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director Esq., the NDC argued that millions of Nigerians were still grappling with soaring living costs, unemployment and business closures triggered by the subsidy removal announced by Tinubu on May 29, 2023.
The party was reacting to the announcement by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, who disclosed that the Federal Government would sell petrol at discounted rates through NNPC retail stations for an initial period of 30 days, with priority given to public transport operators.
According to Oyedele, the initiative was not a subsidy but a temporary intervention aimed at easing transportation costs and reducing the burden on Nigerians.
However, the NDC dismissed the explanation, insisting that the measure amounted to a reintroduction of subsidy through the backdoor.
“The announcement is nothing but tokenism and a Greek gift from a government that whimsically removed fuel subsidy without proper consideration, consultation or adequate cushioning measures for Nigerians,” the party stated.
The opposition party said the policy failed to address the devastating consequences of subsidy removal, including the collapse of many small businesses, rising inflation and worsening poverty across the country.
“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? What about those who lost their lives in poorly equipped government hospitals that have now become mortuaries?” the statement queried.
The NDC further accused the Tinubu administration of seeking political survival through short-term interventions rather than implementing sustainable economic reforms.
“It is clear that President Bola Tinubu and the APC government are desperate, and Nigerians must not be deceived. Emilokanomics has failed woefully,” the party said.
The opposition party also questioned the practicality of implementing the discounted fuel scheme through NNPC stations alone, arguing that the outlets were too few to effectively serve the country’s over 200 million population.
According to the party, restricting the programme to designated NNPC stations could result in long queues and possible crowd-control challenges across the country.
“How many such outlets exist in Nigeria to serve over 200 million Nigerians? Is this not a recipe for another stampede that could have many more Nigerians trampled to death at filling stations?” it asked.
Since the removal of fuel subsidy in 2023, the Federal Government has maintained that the policy was necessary to halt unsustainable spending, free up public resources for development and stabilise the nation’s finances. The government has also introduced a number of palliative measures and social intervention programmes to cushion the impact on vulnerable Nigerians.
But the NDC insisted that the economic situation had continued to deteriorate, alleging that the APC-led administration lacked the capacity to rescue the country from its current challenges.
The party urged Nigerians to support its presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, in the January 16, 2027 election, expressing confidence that he would provide a new direction for the country.
“Hope is on the way. His Excellency Peter Obi, under the NDC, will put Nigeria back on the right track. A New Nigeria is POssible with Obi,” the statement added.
