The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has called for the resignation of Monday Okpebholo, the Edo State Governor, over his reported justification of the rising pump price of petrol, accusing him of being insensitive to the economic hardship confronting Nigerians.
The party, in a statement issued on Sunday by Abubakar Yusuf, its National Publicity Secretary, rejected the current petrol price of over N1,500 per litre and described Okpebholo’s comparison of Nigeria’s fuel price with the cost of petrol in the United Kingdom as inappropriate.
The APM argued that comparing petrol prices in Nigeria with those in the UK without considering differences in wages, purchasing power and public infrastructure was misleading.
It said, ‘It is therefore reckless and irresponsible of Governor Okpebholo to state that Nigerians should not complain about the N1,500 per litre cost of fuel in the country because it is cheaper than an average N3,000 per litre cost in the United Kingdom, without taking into consideration the per capita income and purchasing power of an average Nigerian in comparison to that of a British citizen.’
The party said the governor’s position was particularly insensitive given the disparity between the earnings of Nigerian workers and their counterparts in Britain.
According to the APM, ‘It is to say the least callous for a state governor to attempt to benchmark petrol price in Nigeria with that of the UK where the purchasing power of an average wage earner is over £2,636 (N4.6 million) monthly compared to the paltry N70,000 monthly minimum wage earned by their peers in Nigeria.’
It further contrasted the earnings of teachers in both countries, saying while an average Nigerian teacher earns about N70,000 or less monthly, a starting salary for a teacher in the UK could be about £2,839, which it put at approximately N4.9 million.
The party also cited differences in public transportation systems, arguing that the impact of fuel prices could not be assessed solely by comparing pump prices across countries.
‘While an average Nigerian wage earner is subjected to an informal, chaotic, heavily and expensive public transportation, the public transport system in the United Kingdom is structured, highly regulated, and heavily subsidized by the British government for the benefit of citizens,’ the statement said.
The APM said Okpebholo also failed to account for fuel prices in other oil-producing countries, citing Libya and Iran as examples.
‘What Governor Okpebholo failed to tell Nigerians is the fact that in other oil producing countries such as Libya and even Iran, which is presently at war, petrol is sold at an average of equivalent of N41 to N52 per liter,’ it said.
The party described the governor’s comparison with the UK as ‘completely irrational and highly provocative,’ warning that such comments could deepen public anger over the rising cost of living.
‘It is therefore completely irrational and highly provocative for APC Governor Okpebholo to attempt to compare the situation in the UK to that of Nigeria,’ the statement said.
The APM further expressed concern that the governor’s comment could be interpreted as an indication of further increases in petrol prices.
‘This is especially coming against the backdrop of public apprehension that the comment by the Edo State governor could be a test ground of the APC administration to justify a further increase in the pump price of petrol as part of the APC’s plot to inflict more hardship on Nigerians,’ the party alleged.
It also warned that continued increases in the price of petrol could worsen economic pressure on households and businesses.
The party said, ‘The APM strongly condemns the punishing increase in the pump price of fuel to over N1,500 per liter at a time Nigerians are eagerly expecting a reduction, describing it as a brutal assault on the citizens by Tinubu administration.’
It added that the increase was coming at a time when Nigerians were already struggling with the effects of high living costs.
‘The increase at this time is a huge recipe for crisis as Nigerians are already overburdened and cannot bear its suffocating effect on their lives,’ the statement said.
The APM consequently demanded Okpebholo’s resignation, saying his comments did not reflect the economic realities confronting ordinary Nigerians.
The party, however, urged Nigerians not to lose hope, linking the hardship to the 2027 presidential election.
It said the election would provide an opportunity for Nigerians to choose what it described as ‘a humane, transparent, people-based and efficient leadership,’ embodied in its presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde.
‘Under a Makinde/Daura Presidency and our Reset Agenda, the interest and wellbeing of all Nigerians will be the top priority of government,’ the party said.
The APM added, ‘Nigerians do not deserve this level of intolerable suffering that the APC-led administration has subjected them to given the enormous resources at the disposal of the government.’
It urged Nigerians to remain committed to what it described as a new political beginning under the APM ahead of the 2027 elections.