The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Obidient Movement have criticised the Federal Government’s 30-day petrol discount, describing it as a political move ahead of the 2027 elections.
The groups accused the government of attempting to reintroduce fuel subsidy through the backdoor.
Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele had announced the temporary discount at Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) retail stations, with public transport operators given priority.
Oyedele maintained that the measure was not a return to subsidy but a margin discount that would allow the NNPCL to sell petrol at cost.
However, the Obidient Movement’s Director of Media and Communications, Onyeka Dike, questioned why the government had waited three years after removing subsidy before introducing the measure.
“For three years, Tinubu told Nigerians that the ‘baby steps of pain’ were necessary. Now, suddenly, a petrol discount is possible. So, what changed?” Dike asked.
He suggested that the policy could be linked to the 2027 presidential election, arguing that Nigerians had endured high fuel prices, increased taxes, rising tuition fees and food costs since the subsidy removal.
Dike urged Nigerians not to be swayed by the temporary relief, insisting that the country needed lasting reductions in the cost of fuel, food and education.
“Three years of suffering cannot be erased by 30 days of petrol discount,” he said.
Similarly, the NDC described the announcement as “tokenism and a Greek gift,” accusing the government of removing subsidy without adequate consultation or measures to protect Nigerians from the economic impact.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, said the policy could not reverse the job losses and business closures associated with the subsidy removal.
He also questioned whether designated NNPCL stations could serve Nigeria’s population of more than 200 million people, warning that the arrangement could cause long queues and stampedes.
Director further accused the administration of trying to restore fuel subsidy indirectly and urged Nigerians to support Peter Obi and other NDC candidates in the 2027 elections.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government said the petrol discount was part of wider measures to ease the impact of rising fuel prices.
Oyedele disclosed that the government was negotiating a ₦1,350-per-litre ceiling on petrol’s ex-gantry or landing cost to reduce sharp price fluctuations.
Under the proposed arrangement, refiners and importers would absorb costs above the ceiling and recover the difference when crude oil prices or exchange rates become more favourable.
The ceiling would be reviewed monthly, with the figures published for transparency.
Other measures include increased cash transfers to vulnerable households, subsidised credit for small businesses and consumers, and faster deployment of compressed natural gas vehicles.
Oyedele also said the government had granted a full waiver of taxes and duties on petrol valued at more than ₦3.3tn for the year up to September 30, 2026.
The dispute comes more than three years after President Bola Tinubu announced the removal of petrol subsidy during his May 29, 2023, inauguration, a decision that triggered a sharp rise in fuel prices.
