The opposition\u2019s reflexive condemnation of the Federal Government\u2019s 30-day petrol discount exposes a troubling preference for political point-scoring over the welfare of Nigerians.<\/p>\n
The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has noted with amusement, though hardly with surprise, the opposition\u2019s backlash against the Federal Government\u2019s decision to introduce a 30-day petrol discount through Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) retail outlets, with priority given to public transport operators.<\/p>\n
At a time when Nigerians are grappling with the impact of rising petrol prices on transportation, food prices, household budgets and business operations, one would ordinarily expect a responsible opposition to welcome any credible intervention aimed at easing the burden on citizens, while offering constructive suggestions for improvement.<\/p>\n
Instead, we are confronted with the familiar spectacle of political opportunism masquerading as economic criticism.<\/p>\n
The opposition appears so preoccupied with finding fault with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu\u2019s administration that even a measure designed to provide immediate relief to Nigerians becomes an occasion for manufactured outrage.<\/p>\n
We find this attitude both disappointing and revealing.<\/p>\n
The welfare of Nigerians must come before the political convenience of the opposition.<\/p>\n
The Federal Government has explained that the 30-day arrangement is not a return to the old blanket fuel subsidy regime but a temporary, targeted margin discount under which petrol sold through NNPC retail outlets will be offered at cost, with public transporters receiving priority. The government has also outlined complementary measures intended to moderate fuel-price pressures and support vulnerable Nigerians.<\/p>\n
Whether the arrangement will deliver its intended benefits is a legitimate question. Its implementation, transparency, reach and measurable impact should be scrutinised. But scrutiny is not the same as reflexive condemnation, and accountability does not require political cynicism.<\/p>\n
We challenge the opposition to explain why an intervention intended to ease the burden on Nigerians must first satisfy its partisan appetite before it can be acknowledged as potentially beneficial.<\/p>\n
On the question of sustainability, the opposition is asking the right question for the wrong political reasons.<\/p>\n
What happens after 30 days? That is a reasonable question. The answer should be a clear account of the government\u2019s exit strategy, the criteria for reviewing the intervention and the complementary measures being pursued to achieve greater price stability.<\/p>\n
But asking what happens on Day 31 does not invalidate whatever relief can be delivered on Day One.<\/p>\n
Temporary interventions have a legitimate place in economic management, particularly when households and businesses are under immediate pressure. Their value should be judged by their design, implementation, affordability and outcomes-not dismissed simply because they have a defined duration.<\/p>\n
We expect the government to communicate the details clearly, ensure that the benefits reach the intended beneficiaries and explain the next steps before the intervention expires. Nigerians deserve nothing less.<\/p>\n
On the accusation of a subsidy returning through the back door, we urge the opposition to engage with the actual policy rather than rely on political labels.<\/p>\n
The government has distinguished this arrangement from a blanket subsidy. That distinction deserves examination on its merits, including how the discount is financed, how costs are accounted for and what safeguards exist against abuse.<\/p>\n
If the opposition has credible evidence of fiscal irresponsibility or legal irregularity, it should present that evidence. Throwing around allegations without adequately examining the policy\u2019s structure does not constitute serious economic analysis.<\/p>\n
Nigeria has paid a substantial price for poorly managed public policies in the past. That experience should make all stakeholders more committed to transparent, targeted and fiscally responsible interventions-not less willing to consider practical relief for citizens.<\/p>\n
Let us also remind the opposition that Nigerians are entitled to immediate relief as well as long-term solutions.<\/p>\n
No responsible government should pretend that a 30-day discount alone can resolve the country\u2019s cost-of-living challenges. Nor does the APC suggest that the difficulties confronting households and businesses have disappeared.<\/p>\n
The broader task includes stabilising prices, improving domestic refining and distribution, reducing logistics costs, supporting public transportation, expanding access to affordable credit and strengthening household purchasing power.<\/p>\n
President Tinubu\u2019s administration must continue to pursue these objectives with urgency, consistency and measurable results. The APC will continue to hold the government to the expectations of Nigerians while defending reforms and interventions that are soundly conceived and effectively implemented.<\/p>\n
However, the opposition cannot credibly demand immediate relief on one day and condemn an attempt to provide it the next, without presenting a more workable alternative.<\/p>\n
If the opposition believes the 30-day arrangement is inadequate, let it tell Nigerians precisely what it would do differently, how it would finance its proposal and how quickly its alternative would produce tangible benefits.<\/p>\n
Nigerians deserve more than slogans, cynical commentary and the perpetual conversion of economic hardship into campaign material.<\/p>\n
As the country approaches another election cycle, we urge political actors to resist the temptation to exploit genuine public concerns for partisan advantage. The hardship experienced by ordinary citizens is real, and it deserves seriousness, empathy and practical solutions-not political theatre.<\/p>\n
The Lagos APC therefore welcomes the Federal Government\u2019s initiative as a step towards providing immediate relief, while insisting that its implementation must be transparent, its benefits verifiable and its successor measures clearly communicated.<\/p>\n
Our position is straightforward: support what helps Nigerians, scrutinise what requires scrutiny and improve what needs improvement.<\/p>\n
The opposition may choose to see every government intervention through the prism of electoral calculations. The APC chooses to focus on the welfare of Nigerians, the sustainability of economic reforms and the responsibility to deliver practical solutions.<\/p>\n
The difference between constructive opposition and opportunistic opposition is simple: one offers better answers; the other merely objects to the answers on the table.<\/p>\n
Nigeria deserves the former.<\/p>\n
Mogaji Seye Oladejo
\nLagos APC Spokesman
\n09\/10\/26<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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