Peter Obi Critiques Tinubu's Petrol Discount Policy

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, criticized the Federal Government's 30-day petrol discount announced on October 1. He described the initiative as a reactive policy that prioritizes political optics over sound governance.

Obi delayed his response to assess the discount's impact but concluded it would not address the economic hardships faced by Nigerians. He questioned the effectiveness of a discount of less than five percent on petrol and whether it would alleviate poverty, unemployment, insecurity, or inequality.

Obi attributed the current hardships to the poorly planned removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu's administration on May 29, 2023, and subsequent economic measures. He noted that the discount would only be available at approximately 900 NNPC Retail stations, representing less than four percent of petrol stations nationwide, potentially leaving 243,000 Nigerians vying for a N66.00 per litre discount at each station.

Obi emphasized the need for detailed regulatory impact assessments and stakeholder engagement in policy formulation.