The African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, on Tuesday declared that he was standing with Nigerians.
Atiku also expressed shame on behalf of President Bola Tinubu over what he described as Nigerians paying more for fuel than citizens of other oil-producing nations in Africa.
The former vice president disclosed this in a statement signed by his spokesman, Phrank Shaibu.
According to the statement: “Atiku chose to stand with the people. That is a commitment. And, Bola, Atiku is ashamed on your behalf that Nigeria, one of Africa’s major oil-producing nations, has reached the point where ordinary citizens pay significantly more for petrol than citizens of several other oil-producing countries with substantially higher incomes and living standards.
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“Saudi Arabia sells petrol at about N778 per litre. Kuwait is around N872. Algeria is about N475. Angola is about N441. Even the United Arab Emirates, where average incomes are vastly higher than Nigeria’s, sells petrol below Nigeria’s roughly N1,400 per litre.
“These countries did not conclude that oil production requires punishing citizens at the pump. In different ways, they have used their natural-resource advantage to moderate the energy burden on their people.
“Nigeria has turned that advantage upside down. Our people earn less, live under greater pressure and yet pay more for the fuel that drives transportation, farming, food distribution, manufacturing and virtually every aspect of daily life.”
The former vice president also expressed shame on Tinubu’s behalf when comparing Nigeria with Libya.
He added: “And, Bola, Atiku is particularly ashamed on your behalf when he looks at Libya. A country battered by years of political instability still sells petrol at roughly N34 per litre and ranks around 115th globally in human development. Nigeria sells petrol at roughly N1,400 per litre and ranks around 164th.
“How did your celebrated reform leave Nigerians paying vastly more for fuel while enjoying a lower standard of human development? That is not merely a pump-price debate. It is an affordability scandal.
“A Nigerian earning the N70,000 statutory minimum wage requires N56,000 merely to buy 40 litres of petrol at N1,400 per litre. That is 80 per cent of an entire month’s minimum wage. Before that worker buys food, pays rent, electricity, school fees or medical bills, four-fifths of his monthly wage can disappear into just 40 litres of petrol.”
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