The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, has ordered its members to reduce petroleum pump price from N145 per litre to N140.
The reduction is expected to last from February 20 to February 25 to enable Nigerians again travel to their various constituencies to vote in the rescheduled Presidential and National Assembly elections now slated for February 23.
The decision of the independent marketers was announced in a statement signed by the National President of the association, Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo in Kano on Sunday.
The statement was issued through the Chairman, IPMAN Kano state chapter, Alhaji Bashir Dan-Malam.
According to Okoronkwo, the decision followed Saturday’s last-minute postponement of presidential and National Assembly elections by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Okoronkwo noted that Nigerians travelled to different places across the country to cast their votes, but to their dismay the election was shifted to February 23.
“IPMAN was prompted to slash N5 from the N145 per litre official Petroleum pump price in a bid to motivate Nigerians to return to vote again on February 23.
“We urge all our members across Nigeria to immediately reduce the fuel pump price from N145 per litre to N140 per litre.
“This is because of the political situation that hit the country after INEC suddenly announced the postponement of presidential and National Assembly elections after Nigerians were fully prepared.
“We are all aware how Nigerians travelled to different parts of the country in order to exercise their civic duty; unfortunately, they heard the sad news of postponement of the polls,” Okworonkwo said in the statement.
Continuing, the IPMAN boss said: “This made us deem it fit to reduce the pump price in order to ease their suffering and to also motivate them to travel again to exercise their franchise on February 23.”
He, therefore, urged his members nationwide to immediately comply with the directive to enable Nigerians to travel to exercise their civic responsibility.
Okoronkwo further explained that IPMAN’s decision followed President Muhammadu Buhari’s concern over the election postponement.
“We decided to express our concern over the postponement, as president Buhari expressed concern over the development.