The presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement and Oyo State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde, has challenged the Federal Government to release its petroleum pricing template to enable Nigerians to understand how fuel prices are determined and to promote transparency.
The APM presidential candidate, who stated this while addressing stakeholders at the party’s North-East town hall meeting in Yola, Adamawa State, on Saturday, also promised a four-year government of national unity if elected president in 2027, adding that his administration would not last beyond four years.
The Federal Government announced on Thursday that it would introduce a discount on petrol sold by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited for an initial period of 30 days.
The initiative is part of a new set of measures aimed at easing the burden of high fuel prices on Nigerians and stabilising pump prices.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, said the arrangement was not a subsidy but a government initiative to sell petrol at cost price.
Reacting, Makinde urged the Federal Government to make its petroleum pricing template public, saying Nigerians deserve transparency in the determination of fuel prices.
He said the current administration came in and told Nigerians that it had the magic wand to solve the challenges confronting the nation.
“As a matter of fact, the President said that if he failed to fix electricity for Nigeria in four years, Nigerians should not vote for him again. So, we are all aware that they have failed to provide electricity and other things they promised. So, I believe we all know how to cast our ballots.”
“They came up with the presidential policy on CNG and electric vehicles. That policy failed. They came up with the naira-for-crude initiative. That policy also failed. Yesterday, I listened to the Minister of Finance on television. He said they are now adopting price modulation for petroleum products.”
“We are asking for only two things. We do not want too much grammar; we just want relief for Nigerians. So, we ask the Federal Government to release its pricing template so that citizens will know how they arrived at the current petroleum price and let Nigerians see how things go. If they have a better solution, they will present it.”
“The fact that you are in government or the Presidential Villa does not make you the only Nigerians with sense. We have other citizens who can dissect issues and proffer solutions. So, please make your pricing template available to all, and we will make our input,” he said.
Makinde pledged to pursue sincere and inclusive solutions to the country’s challenges, promising to listen to Nigerians, respect their rights, and avoid playing politics with issues affecting the nation.
“I want to say to you that 2027 will mark the end of the politics of lies and deceit,” he continued. “It is a time when we will all come together to establish a reset agenda and tell Nigerians the whole truth. Nigeria is home to several million people. We are the most populous Black nation on the face of the earth. We do not deserve what we are getting right now.”
“So, our manifesto is on the way. We have deliberately delayed its release because we wanted to hear from you at this level. I will listen to you, and we promise that we will find new solutions to the problems we are faced with as a nation,” he said.
Earlier in his remarks, the national leader of the APM and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, described the party as a major opposition force, citing its two governors and other elected leaders.
He expressed confidence in the party’s growing appeal, saying it was attracting new members and had the experience and capacity to contribute to Nigeria’s political development.
“APM is the number one opposition party in the country. We have two governors and other elected leaders. Whether we like it or not, we are a force to reckon with. Whoever does not reckon with us is going to do so at his or her peril.
“We have members with experience and knowledge. I can see people trooping into our party. I wish we had started this earlier, and I wish we had discovered APM a long time ago. But God’s time is the best. We are still not late,” he said.
In his remarks, the APM vice-presidential candidate, Lawal Daura, described the party as a platform for honest and patriotic Nigerians, stating that it was committed to addressing the country’s challenges and resetting Nigeria for the benefit of all citizens.
Daura expressed appreciation for the reception accorded to the party’s delegation by residents of the region, saying the party would explain its policies and programmes to Nigerians when its national campaign begins.
He stated that Nigeria needed a reset to overcome its challenges, adding that achieving the goal would require the participation of serious-minded Nigerians.
Credit: punchng.com
