The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has demanded the resignation of Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo over his reported justification of Nigeria’s petrol price by comparing it with the cost of fuel in the United Kingdom.
The opposition party described the comparison as insensitive, arguing that the price of petrol cannot be considered in isolation from the income, purchasing power and living conditions of citizens.
The controversy followed reported remarks by Okpebholo that Nigerians should not complain about petrol selling for about N1,500 per litre when the product costs roughly N3,000 per litre in the UK.
But the APM, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Yusuf, said the comparison ignored the vast economic differences between the two countries.
The party argued that what matters to an average consumer is not simply the pump price but how much of their income is required to buy the product.
It cited the disparity between Nigerian wages and earnings in the UK, saying the purchasing power of workers in both countries cannot reasonably be compared.
The APM also rejected the argument that Nigeria’s petrol price should be benchmarked against prices in developed economies, particularly when Nigerians continue to face high transportation costs and other economic pressures.
According to the party, the country’s public transport system also places an additional burden on citizens who depend heavily on road transportation.
The APM further pointed to lower petrol prices in some oil-producing countries, including Libya and Iran, as evidence that crude oil production does not automatically translate into high domestic fuel prices.
The party described the current petrol price of more than N1,500 per litre as punitive and warned that any further increase would deepen pressure on households and businesses.
It also alleged that Okpebholo’s comments could be used to prepare public opinion for another increase in petrol prices under the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government.
The APM did not provide evidence that the governor’s remarks were part of any government plan to raise the pump price.
The party nevertheless demanded Okpebholo’s resignation, saying a governor should be sensitive to the economic realities confronting ordinary Nigerians.
It urged Nigerians to remain engaged ahead of the 2027 presidential election, when it said voters would have the opportunity to decide the direction of the country.
The APM said its presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, would pursue what it described as a people-centred alternative under the party’s proposed Reset Agenda.
The party maintained that the country’s oil resources should translate into policies that reduce, rather than intensify, the economic burden on Nigerians.
