The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has criticised Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo over his comparison of petrol prices in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Yusuf, the party described the comparison as insensitive, arguing that it failed to consider the differences in income and purchasing power between Nigerians and Britons.
Okpebholo had said Nigerians should not complain about petrol prices of over N1,500 per litre because the product costs more than N3,000 per litre in the UK. He made the remarks at the “Operation Rescue Benin-Asaba Road” event in Edo State on Thursday.
The APM said comparing petrol prices without considering workers’ incomes and other economic conditions provided an incomplete picture of 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 also cited Libya and Iran, saying petrol sells for the equivalent of between N41 and N52 per litre in the two oil-producing countries.
The APM called for greater sensitivity from public officeholders when discussing issues affecting household budgets and urged Nigerians to remain engaged ahead of the 2027 elections.
