Gov. Okpebholo Asked To Resign Over UK Petrol Price Comparison
The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has called on Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo state to resign over his recent comparison of petrol prices in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
This was just as the opposition party said the governor’s argument that Nigerians were “doing very well” because petrol was cheaper in Nigeria than in the UK ignored the wide disparity in wages, purchasing power and public transportation systems between the two countries.
The governor said he travelled to London the previous week and decided to compare petrol prices in the UK with what Nigerians pay locally.
“When we complained about cost of petrol, I was in London last week. I told my friend, ‘Let’s go and buy fuel just to know the cost of fuel between Nigeria and England.’
“Let me tell you, after conversion, it’s about 3,000-something for one litre of fuel,” he said.
According to Okpebholo, the comparison showed that Nigerians were paying less for petrol, adding, “We are doing very well here. The President is stabilising the economy. He’s an economist.”
Reacting in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Yusuf, the APM condemned the increase in petrol prices to more than N1,500 per litre and described the governor’s comparison as insensitive to the economic realities confronting Nigerians.
“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,” Yusuf said.
The party argued that comparing petrol prices without considering income levels gave a misleading picture of affordability.
“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,” the APM said.
It also faulted the comparison on transportation, arguing that Nigerians largely depend on an informal and costly public transport system, while the UK has a more structured and regulated transportation network.
The APM further compared Nigeria’s petrol prices with those of other oil-producing countries, citing Libya and Iran, where it claimed petrol sells for the equivalent of between N41 and N52 per litre.
The party described Okpebholo’s remarks as “irrational and highly provocative”, warning that they could further aggravate public anger over the rising cost of living.
It also expressed concern that the governor’s comments could be interpreted as an indication that Nigerians should expect another increase in petrol prices.
The APM subsequently urged Nigerians to support its presidential candidate, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state, in the 2027 presidential election, saying its proposed “Reset Agenda” would prioritise citizens’ welfare.
“Nevertheless, the APM urges Nigerians not to despair as the 2027 Presidential election affords the nation the golden opportunity to vote in a humane, transparent, people-based and efficient leadership as embodied in our Presidential Candidate, Seyi Makinde,” the party said.
It added that under a proposed Makinde/Daura administration, “the interest and wellbeing of all Nigerians will be the top priority of the government.”
