The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the announced increase in fuel price from N123 to N143.80 per liter by the All Progressives Congress (APC) led government.
The party described the hike, despite the decline in price of crude oil in the international market, as grossly unjustifiable, saying it further exposed the alleged insincerity of the present administration.
The fuel price increase was contained in the July pricing guideline for Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) by the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) sent to oil marketers.
The memo entitled, “Advised price for PMS for July”, dated July 1, was signed by PPPRA Executive Secretary, Mr Abdulkadir Saidu.
But the PDP in a statement on Thursday night, by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan asked President Muhammadu Buhari to reverse the pump price of fuel to a price not exceeding N90 per litre, given the prevailing templates in the price of crude oil in the international market.
The party noted that in directing a fuel price increase at the time Nigerians were facing the economic and social trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Buhari-led administration showed a total lack of human feelings to the plight of citizens.
“Our party challenges the APC-led federal government to present to Nigerians, the indices and parameters it used to determine the price increase, which obviously cannot be in tandem with the prevalent situation in the global industry.
“The actions of the APC administration have continued to confirm that the party has never been pro-poor but only relishes in imposing hardship and heavy taxes on already impoverished Nigerians, while running an over-bloated government through which resources meant for the welfare of Nigerians are frittered by corrupt officials and the cabal in the Presidency,” the party said.
