The main opposition party in Nigeria, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has warned against an increase in the pump price of petrol.
The party said this would lead to a direct invitation for a mass protest in the country.
“With an honest and transparent administration of our national production capacity and potentials, the domestic price of petrol should not exceed N70 per litre”.
It issued the warning to All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal Government in a statement on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan.
The statement was in reaction to the reports that some filling stations were selling petrol at N212 per litre – a situation that triggered panic buying of fuel in parts of the country.
While the Nigerian authorities have insisted that the government does not plan to increase the price in March, the PDP insisted that any contemplation for N212 pump price would be pushing Nigerians to the wall.
“Our party holds that the N212 per litre reportedly contemplated in the March pricing template by the APC administration, is wicked, insensitive, and callous.
“It is a barefaced fact that there is no way that Nigerians can survive such hike in fuel price, which will worsen the already agonising economic situation in the country,” the statement said.
It alleged, “The continuous unjustified increase in the price of fuel is a deliberate scheme by the APC, through which their leaders fleece Nigerians of billions of naira on daily basis.
“Nigerians have endured enough under the suppressive, corrupt, insensitive and incompetent APC administration and it is our concern that any further increase in fuel price may become the last straw that might break the camel’s back as already cautioned by our party last month.”
The main opposition party noted that it had cautioned that with the unemployment rate and other challenges in the country, any increase in fuel price could trigger a mass protest in the land.
It, therefore, called on the APC and its administration to save the nation from any trouble that could arise as a result of fuel price increase.
The PDP cautioned that every contemplation of fuel price increase, particularly at a time when Nigerians were expecting a downward review of prices, must be shelved.
It also urged the people to remain calm but very alert in readiness, within the ambit of the laws and opportunities granted under the nation’s democracy, to defend the collective wealth of Nigeria.
