The sudden increase of the pump price of petrol to N160 per litre after the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) on Wednesday increased the depot price to N151.56, has continued to generate tension in the country. Nigerians while decrying the emasculation or seeming demise of actors in civil society, are not given up their agitation and bitterness, they are willing to take to the streets in protest but demand the Opposition Political Party, the People Democratic Party (PDP) to lead the protest. Accordingly, Nigerians are calling on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, Senator Sino Melaye and others to lead a nationwide protest of the sudden increase in electricity tariff and pump price of petrol by the All Progressives Congress (APC) government led by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Nigerians of goodwill have lost confidence in civil society groups which to their consternation have gone underground in the years of the APC government. They recalled that President Buhari, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, among others led mass protest in 2014 when the Jonathan administration increased pump price of petrol to n140 per litre. “Buhari, Tinubu, Soyinka, Fayemi, Onu, Oyegun and other APC leaders were protesting in 2014/2015 when Jonathan was President.
“Atiku, Fayose, Secondus, Saraki, Dino Melaye and other PDP leaders should rise up to stage nationwide protest so we can join and fight the battle together – Togetherness we shall stand;” Nigerians declared.
Some Nigerians went further to challenge Atiku to stop social media broadcast and come out to lead the people in protest.
The Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), on Wednesday issued a memo on the new price regime of N151.56 per litre at the depot effect from September 2. The IPMC immediately ordered members to sell at N160 per litre retail price.
At Thursday, several petrol stations across Nigeria were selling at N160 per litre, a few sell at N155. The PPPRA is yet to make official pronouncement on the new price regime of petrol in the country.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), among others, have rejected the increase in electricity tariff and petrol by the Buhari administration.
Atiku has condemned the price increase of electricity tariff and petrol. PDP has also rejected the increases.