KEY POINTS
• Allied People’s Movement says Edo Governor Monday Okpebholo’s comparison of Nigerian and UK petrol prices ignores differences in income and purchasing power.
• The party says Nigerians should not be told to accept rising fuel costs based solely on nominal price comparisons.
• APM called for greater sensitivity from public officials when discussing issues affecting household finances.
MAIN STORY
The Allied People’s Movement has criticised Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo over his comparison of petrol prices in Nigeria and the United Kingdom, arguing that the assessment does not account for differences in income and purchasing power.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Yusuf, raised the concerns in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja.
Okpebholo had defended the prevailing cost of petrol in Nigeria by pointing to the higher naira equivalent of petrol prices in the UK. He made the comparison on September 24 while speaking at the “Operation Rescue Benin Asaba Road” event in Edo State. Reports of the remarks said he put the UK price at about N3,000 per litre after conversion and described Nigeria as doing well in comparison.
Reacting, the APM said a comparison based only on pump prices failed to reflect the economic burden on consumers in the two countries.
The party said the purchasing power of an average wage earner in the UK was substantially different from that of a Nigerian worker, making a direct comparison of petrol prices insufficient for assessing affordability.
“It is to say the least callous for a state governor to attempt the benchmark petrol price in Nigeria with that of the UK where the purchasing power of an average wage earner is more than £2,636 (N4.6 million) monthly compared to the paltry N70,000 monthly minimum wage earned by their peers in Nigeria,” Yusuf said.
The party said assessments of fuel costs should take account of wider economic conditions, including domestic incomes and purchasing power, rather than relying on converted prices.
It also cautioned public officeholders against statements that could increase public anxiety at a time of economic adjustment, urging greater sensitivity when addressing issues that directly affect household budgets.
The APM further compared Nigerian petrol prices with those in other oil producing countries, citing Libya and Iran as examples where, according to the party, petrol sells for the equivalent of between N41 and N52 per litre.
The party urged Nigerians to remain engaged in civic affairs and participate in the electoral process as a means of influencing future governance priorities.
THE ISSUES
- The dispute centres on how petrol affordability should be assessed. The APM argues that comparing the nominal naira equivalent of prices in Nigeria and the UK does not by itself account for differences in wages and purchasing power.
- Fuel prices have a direct effect on household budgets, making statements by public officials about the cost of petrol particularly significant in public discussions about living standards and economic policy.
- The APM’s response also highlights the wider political debate over how Nigerians should assess economic conditions, with the party urging citizens to remain engaged in the electoral process.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“It is to say the least callous for a state governor to attempt the benchmark petrol price in Nigeria with that of the UK where the purchasing power of an average wage earner is more than £2,636 (N4.6 million) monthly compared to the paltry N70,000 monthly minimum wage earned by their peers in Nigeria,” – Abubakar Yusuf, National Publicity Secretary, Allied People’s Movement
“What Gov. Okpebholo failed to tell Nigerians is the fact that in other oil producing countries such as Libya and even Iran, which is presently at war, petrol is sold at an average of equivalent of N41 to N52 per litre,” – Allied People’s Movement
“We, therefore, urge Nigerians to remain steadfast as they rally to forge a new beginning for our nation on the platform of the APM,” – Allied People’s Movement
WHAT’S NEXT
The APM said it would continue urging Nigerians to remain engaged in the electoral process and called for greater attention to economic issues affecting citizens.
BOTTOM LINE
The APM has challenged the use of the UK petrol price as a basis for defending Nigeria’s fuel costs, arguing that income and purchasing power must also be considered. Governor Okpebholo’s original comparison was based on the nominal converted price of petrol in the UK.
