The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has warned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the rising price of petrol, which it said has reached as much as N1,470 per litre in some parts of the country.
The party said the increase was worsening the economic hardship faced by Nigerians, with the cost of transportation, food, electricity, education and other basic necessities rising alongside fuel prices.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the petrol pump had become an “instrument of punishment” for ordinary Nigerians.
The party said reports of private schools increasing fees by between 30 and 40 per cent had further compounded the pressure on families, noting that incomes had not increased at a similar rate.
“Parents are not earning 40 per cent more. Their salaries have not risen with the prices of fuel, food, rent, transportation, and school fees,” the party said.
The ADC said it did not blame school proprietors for the increases, arguing that they were also facing higher taxes, electricity bills, fuel costs, rent and staff salaries.
According to the party, families were increasingly being forced to make difficult choices, including skipping meals, withdrawing children from school, abandoning medical treatment and shutting down businesses.
The ADC also criticised what it described as extravagant lifestyles among public officials, saying the government could not continue demanding sacrifices from ordinary Nigerians while public resources were allegedly being used for lavish spending.
“A reform that continuously makes the people poorer is not working. An economic policy that produces impressive figures at government briefings but hunger in Nigerian homes is a failure,” it said.
The opposition party said the 2027 general election would give Nigerians an opportunity to consider alternative economic policies, including those proposed by its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
It said Atiku was committed to reducing petrol prices by bringing back subsidy to support domestic fuel production, which the party said would help ease the cost of food, transportation and production.
“Unlike Tinubu and APC, we recognise that economic reform must serve the people, not sacrifice them,” the ADC said.
The party urged the President to take immediate action to address the economic pressures on Nigerians, warning that the patience of citizens should not be mistaken for approval.
“President Tinubu must act now. Don’t push Nigerians to their limits,” the party said.