The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that any increase in the price of petrol to N212 per litre would amount to a direct invitation for mass protests in the country.

The main opposition party maintained in a statement on Friday that any contemplation for N212 pump price would be pushing Nigerians to the wall; a situation that is capable of worsening an already tense situation and lead to economic and social crisis in the country.

Signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the statement said that the N212 per litre reportedly contemplated in the March pricing template by the APC administration “is wicked, insensitive, and callous.”

It added: “It is a barefaced fact that there is no way that Nigerians can survive such hike in petrol price which will worsen the already agonising economic situation in the country.

“Our party maintains that with an honest and transparent administration of our national production capacity and potentialities, domestic price of petrol should not exceed N70 per litre.

“The continuous unjustified increase in the price of petrol is a deliberate scheme by the APC, through which their leaders fleece Nigerians of billions of naira on daily basis.

“Nigerians have endured enough under the suppressive, corrupt, insensitive and incompetent APC administration and it is our concern that any further increase in petrol price may become the last straw that might break the camel’s back as already cautioned by our party last month.”

The PDP recalled that it had cautioned that with over 100 million citizens living in abject poverty, with an alarming 23 per cent unemployment rate and many more living below N500 a day, any increase in fuel price is capable of triggering a mass protest in the land.

“This is particularly as the APC and its government have been unable to account for the over N15 trillion allegedly stolen by APC leaders,” the PDP stated.

The party therefore charged the APC and its administration to save the nation the trouble by ending every contemplation of petrol price increase, particularly at this time Nigerians are expecting a downward review in prices.

The party called on all patriotic Nigerians to “remain calm but very alert in readiness, within the ambit of our laws and opportunities granted under our democracy, to stand up for, rescue and defend our national patrimony and collective wealth.” (Nigerian Tribune)

Update news