Fuel price hike: We are not weak opposition party – PDP

By Agency Report

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday said it is not aweak opposition party which has failed to put the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Muhammadu Buhari in check.

Many Nigerians who are groaning over the hike in the price of petrol and electricity tariff have claimed that the PDP disappointed them by not leading the charge against the policies of government as the APC had done when it was the opposition party.

Many leaders of APC today, including President Muhammadu Buhari, Mai Mala Buni, Yobe state governor and Caretaker Committee Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Lauretta Onochie and others led protests against removal of fuel subsidy by the Goodluck Jonathan administration in 2012. 

Speaking in a chat with Independent, Kola Ologbondiyan, National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, said it is wrong for Nigerians to label the party as a weak opposition party despite all the actions it has taken in protest against some of the policies of the APC-led government since it came on board in 2015.

“I do not think that is correct. We are not a weak opposition party. As Nigerians will recall, the PDP has consistently challenged the APC and President Muhammadu Buhari on the opaque nature of their subsidy regime. 

“We have consistently stated that the type of subsidy the federal government is practicing is an absurdity and it encourages corruption. Under the PDP administration, we put a budget into what we spent on subsidy but in this administration, they have no budget in whatever form on subsidy.

“Each time they are challenged on corruption in respect to a subsidy, they lay claim to under-recovery. For us in the PDP, we have consistently opposed a hike in the prices of petroleum products as well as an increase in taxation. 

“We have stood against hike in electricity tariff. So, I do not understand when people say PDP has not lived up to his role as a major opposition party and we have not challenged the APC. We have always challenged President Buhari’s government and we will continue to do so,” he said.