Tinubu's Aide Critiques Obi on Fuel Price Comments

An aide to President Bola Tinubu rebuked Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State and Labour Party presidential candidate, over his remarks regarding the rising fuel prices in Nigeria. Obi had attributed the price hikes to the country's vulnerability to global oil price shocks and the absence of strategic petroleum reserves.

He noted that petrol prices had risen from less than 1,000 Naira per liter to 1,200 Naira, while diesel prices increased from below 1,000 Naira to above 1,500 Naira. In response, Tinubu's aide, Olusegun, dismissed Obi's comments as misleading and argued that the immediate cause of the price rise was the deregulation of the fuel market following the removal of subsidies by the Tinubu administration.

Olusegun acknowledged Nigeria's long-standing structural challenges in the energy sector, emphasizing the country's heavy reliance on imported refined petroleum products and the pressures of foreign exchange. He criticized Obi for oversimplifying complex economic issues and reminded him of his previous public support for the removal of fuel subsidies during the 2023 presidential campaign.