SDP presidential candidate Adewole Adebayo has ridiculed the Federal Government’s 30-day petrol discount, branding it “Tinubu’s house of commotion” while questioning how the policy will work and whether it has any legal backing. Adebayo made the remarks during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, following the government’s announcement of temporary petrol price relief. The […]
SDP presidential candidate Adewole Adebayo has ridiculed the Federal Government’s 30-day petrol discount, branding it “Tinubu’s house of commotion” while questioning how the policy will work and whether it has any legal backing.
Adebayo made the remarks during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, following the government’s announcement of temporary petrol price relief. The initiative, announced Thursday, is designed to ease rising transportation costs, with public transport operators receiving priority.
Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele explained that the arrangement would not restore the petrol subsidy removed in May 2023. Instead, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) would sell petrol at cost by foregoing its retail profit margin for an initial 30-day period.
Reacting to the announcement, Adebayo likened the initiative to Fuji House of Commotion, a popular Nigerian television comedy series that aired in the 1990s. He argued that the government’s presentation lacked coherence and failed to establish whether it was introducing a formal policy or temporary gesture.
The SDP chieftain also questioned the participation of officials involved in announcing the initiative, arguing that those present did not represent NNPC. He further raised concerns about the financial arrangements, claiming that the Ministry of Finance had not established an account specifically for petroleum subsidy transactions.
Adebayo challenged the legal foundation of the intervention, arguing that the government had not cited any law authorising the arrangement as presented. He maintained that Nigerians deserved clearer explanations of the policy’s institutional structure, funding mechanism and legal authority before its implementation.
He also criticised the decision to restrict the petrol discount to 30 days, describing the period as insufficient to provide meaningful, lasting relief. According to him, the intervention failed to outline a clear short-, medium- or long-term strategy for addressing Nigeria’s persistent fuel-price challenges.
Adebayo further accused the Tinubu administration of contributing to the economic problems it was now attempting to resolve. He argued that the government’s response reflected confusion rather than a coherent plan, questioning how the temporary arrangement would significantly improve Nigerians’ financial circumstances.
The criticism comes as households and businesses continue to face the effects of high petrol prices on transportation and the cost of living. The Federal Government has defended the measure as part of broader efforts to cushion Nigerians against global energy-market volatility.
The controversy has intensified questions about the intervention’s effectiveness, funding and duration. While the government insists the NNPC arrangement is not a return to subsidy, Adebayo’s criticism highlights concerns over whether the temporary discount can deliver meaningful relief to struggling Nigerians.