Nigerians Will Reject 1-Month Fuel Price Cut As Electoral Bribe, ADC Tells Tinubu

The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC-PCC) has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of attempting to win public support ahead of the 2027 general election with a temporary reduction in petrol prices, describing the 30-day measure as an electoral bribe.

The council’s Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, made the allegation in a statement on Thursday while reacting to the announcement by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, that petrol prices at NNPC filling stations would be reduced for 30 days.

Ologbondiyan said the temporary price cut was an admission that the Federal Government could ease the economic hardship facing Nigerians but had failed to do so despite years of rising living costs.

“After over three years of subjecting Nigerians to excruciating pain through the reckless removal of fuel subsidy, the collapse of the naira and suffocating economic policies, the Tinubu administration now thinks it can bribe Nigerians with 30 days of cheaper fuel.

“Nigerians will reject your one-month bribe,” he said.

The ADC-PCC spokesman described the announcement as a political gimmick rather than a lasting economic intervention, alleging that the government was becoming increasingly worried about its chances in the 2027 elections.

He questioned what would happen after the 30-day period, asking whether Nigerians would return to paying more than ₦1,400 per litre for petrol.

“What happens after 30 days? Will Nigerians return to buying petrol at over N1,400 per litre?

“This is not governance; this is deceit. It is a negotiated bribe designed to be reviewed monthly to suit the government’s political calendar,” Ologbondiyan said.

He added that the temporary reduction was an insult to families struggling to afford basic necessities, small businesses battling rising operating costs and transport operators affected by high fuel prices.

The council also praised its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, for consistently criticising the Tinubu administration’s economic policies, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy without what it described as adequate social protection for vulnerable Nigerians.

According to the ADC-PCC, the planned 30-day price reduction supports Atiku’s argument that the government could take steps to reduce the burden of petrol costs on citizens.

“We commend our presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, for boldly exposing the failures of this oppressive government and for promising to restore a humane and responsible approach to fuel subsidy management in the interest of the Nigerian people.

“The government has now, albeit belatedly, come to terms with the reality that subsidy removal without adequate safety nets was a grave policy error.

“Atiku was right all along. This half-hearted 30-day gimmick is proof that the government has finally acknowledged the truth, although it has done so too late and in a deceitful manner,” the statement added.

Ologbondiyan argued that fuel subsidy management should be transparent and focused on the welfare of citizens rather than shifting the burden of economic challenges to low-income households.

He also questioned why the government had allowed Nigerians to endure high fuel costs for more than 800 days if it could provide temporary relief, including prioritising public transport operators.

“If the government can reduce the burden of fuel costs for 30 days, with priority given to public transport operators, why did it allow Nigerians to suffer for more than 800 days?

“This proves that the government has always had the capacity to make life easier for Nigerians but chose not to do so and only remembers the suffering masses when elections are around the corner,” he said.

The ADC-PCC further argued that a one-month reduction in petrol prices would not erase the effects of inflation, hunger, unemployment, declining purchasing power and worsening insecurity, which it blamed on the current administration.

“No one-month palliative can buy the conscience of Nigerians.

“Nigerians are not for sale. You cannot buy their future with 30 days of cheaper fuel.

“They have seen through this fraud. They know the difference between genuine governance and a one-month electoral bribe. They have resolved to vote out hardship and hunger in 2027,” Ologbondiyan said.

The council urged Nigerians to remain united and vigilant, warning them against being swayed by temporary concessions or measures it described as election-season gimmicks.

It also presented the ADC as an alternative to the Tinubu administration, saying the party was committed to addressing the country’s economic and security challenges through what it described as accountable, responsible and people-centred leadership under Atiku Abubakar.