The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has demanded the resignation of Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo over his comparison of petrol prices in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
The party said the governor’s argument that Nigerians were paying less for petrol than consumers in Britain failed to account for the differences in earnings and purchasing power between the two countries.
Okpebholo made the comparison on Thursday, September 24, while speaking at the “Operation Rescue Benin-Asaba Road” event in Edo State.
The governor said he had visited London the previous week and checked the price of petrol before converting it to naira.
“After conversion, it’s about 3,000-something for one litre of fuel,” he said.
Okpebholo subsequently argued that Nigerians were “doing very well” with the lower domestic price and said President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms would eventually deliver stronger economic conditions.
Reacting in a statement on Sunday, APM National Publicity Secretary Abubakar Yusuf said the comparison was inappropriate because it ignored the disparity in income between Nigerian and British workers.
The party pointed to Nigeria’s ₦70,000 national minimum wage and contrasted it with earnings in Britain, arguing that the naira equivalent of a British petrol price could not by itself determine whether fuel was affordable to Nigerian households.
The current national minimum wage of ₦70,000 was established under the Minimum Wage Act 2024.
The APM also criticised the quality and cost of public transportation in Nigeria compared with the UK, saying Nigerian commuters often have fewer alternatives to private vehicles and more expensive informal transport options.
Yusuf said the party considered petrol prices above ₦1,500 per litre a heavy burden on Nigerians and accused the Federal Government of failing to sufficiently address the effect of fuel costs on households.
The party further argued that Nigeria’s position as an oil-producing country should form part of the discussion about domestic fuel prices, citing lower prices in some other oil-producing nations.
APM went on to demand Okpebholo’s resignation, describing his remarks as insensitive.
The party also suggested that the governor’s comments could be interpreted as an attempt to prepare Nigerians for a possible further increase in petrol prices. It did not provide evidence that such an increase had been planned by the Federal Government.
Okpebholo made the remarks while expressing support for the Federal Government’s intervention on the Benin-Asaba Road.
He also defended Tinubu’s economic programme, saying the reforms were difficult but would eventually put Nigeria on a “cruising level”.
The governor further endorsed Tinubu’s continued presidency ahead of the 2027 election, saying those planning to challenge him should reconsider.
The APM, meanwhile, used its response to promote its own 2027 presidential platform, saying a proposed administration led by its candidate, Seyi Makinde, would prioritise the welfare of Nigerians.
The exchange has brought the affordability of petrol, purchasing power and the wider impact of economic reforms back into the political debate ahead of the 2027 general election.
