FG’s 30-Day Petrol Discount Draws Opposition Backlash

•Atiku brands intervention election ploy, demands lasting relief

•NDC dismisses offer as tokenism amid rising living costs

•Oyedele warns subsidy return could push petrol to N2,000

The Federal Government’s plan to offer a 30-day petrol discount has drawn criticism from opposition figures, with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the Nigeria Democratic Congress(NDC) questioning its ability to ease the cost-of-living crisis.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, announced the measure on Thursday in Abuja, describing it as a temporary intervention to cushion the impact of high fuel prices.

Under the arrangement, petrol dispensed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited(NNPCL) will be sold at cost for an initial 30 days, with public transport operators given priority.

Oyedele insisted that the measure was not a return to fuel subsidy but an effort to provide temporary relief while the government works to moderate price fluctuations.

“We are offering a discount on petrol dispensed by NNPC Limited for the next 30 days in the first instance with priority for public transporters nationwide. So, it’s not a subsidy, government is just saying we sell to you at cost,” he said.

The minister also disclosed that the government was negotiating a ceiling of N1,350 per litre on the ex-gantry or landing cost of petrol, subject to monthly reviews.

He explained that the proposed ceiling was intended to limit the immediate effect of fluctuations in global crude prices and foreign exchange rates on domestic petrol costs.

The arrangement would not mean that petrol would sell for N1,350 per litre at filling stations. Rather, it would serve as a mechanism to moderate price movements over time.

Oyedele said the government was considering ways to prevent sudden increases in fuel costs from placing additional pressure on households and businesses.

However, Atiku described the 30-day discount as a temporary gesture that would not resolve the economic hardship Nigerians have faced since the removal of fuel subsidy.

In a statement issued by his Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice-president accused the administration of offering short-term relief while leaving the underlying causes of high living costs unresolved.

Atiku also questioned up timing of the intervention, describing it as an election-related ploy ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He argued that restricting the discount to NNPCL outlets raised questions about its reach and the actual savings motorists would enjoy.

“What happens on Day 31? Nigerians wake up to the same brutal prices, the same punishing transport fares and the same rising cost of food,” Atiku said.

He further questioned whether public transport operators would pass any savings from the discounted petrol on to passengers through lower fares.

The former vice-president called instead for a lasting production-support arrangement tied to fuel refined in Nigeria, with safeguards to ensure that consumers benefit directly.

He maintained that Nigerians needed sustainable relief rather than a temporary intervention that would expire after one month.

The NDC also rejected the government’s announcement, describing the discount as tokenism amid rising living costs.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, said the measure failed to address the wider economic pressures facing households and businesses.

The party accused the administration of introducing limited relief after removing subsidy without sufficient measures to cushion the impact on citizens.

It also questioned whether NNPCL stations could adequately serve motorists nationwide, warning that the arrangement could attract large crowds if the discount made fuel significantly cheaper at participating outlets.

The NDC further alleged that the intervention amounted to an attempt to reintroduce subsidy through the back door, a claim the government has rejected.

The party called for more durable policies to reduce the cost of living and improve access to affordable fuel.

While opposition figures criticised the discount, Oyedele renewed the government’s defence of subsidy removal, warning that restoring the policy could create fresh economic difficulties.

He challenged those advocating a return to subsidy to explain its cost, how it would be funded sustainably and the pump price it would deliver.

“We remain open to ideas, but any credible proposer should answer three questions. Number one, what will it cost? Number two, how will it be funded sustainably? Number three, what pump price will it deliver?” the minister asked.

Oyedele warned that subsidy restoration could weaken government revenues, increase borrowing costs, discourage investment and put further pressure on the naira.

He projected that the exchange rate could approach N3,000 to the dollar within months if subsidy returned, while petrol could cost at least N2,000 per litre.

According to him, the resulting pressure could undermine progress in tackling inflation and complicate efforts to lower interest rates.

The minister argued that subsidy might offer immediate relief but could create longer-term economic vulnerabilities if the government could not sustain the funding.

“Short-term relief, but with long-term fragility, is the most expensive money a government can spend,” he said.

The government maintains that the 30-day discount and proposed landing-cost ceiling are intended to ease immediate pressure and reduce price volatility without restoring the former subsidy regime.

The opposition, however, insists that the measures fall short of the lasting relief Ni gerians need as fuel prices continue to affect transportation, food prices and the cost of doing business.