The Federal Government has refuted claims that the fuel discount it is proposing will encourage Nigerians to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) government in the general elections of 2027. The retort was given by Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele on Friday during an interview with Politics Today on Channels Television
Oyedele adds that the gesture is intended to assist the Nigerian people and that the Federal Government is not so stupid to believe that way.
Remember that over the following thirty days, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, or NNPCL, would be dispensing petrol at a discount offered by the Federal Government.
In the meantime, several members of the opposition political parties claimed that the Federal Government’s action was intended to force Nigerians to support the ruling APC in the next elections.
“I think that there are some politicians who think that Nigerians are stupid,” the minister responded. This offer is valid for one month; the election is in January. We’ll offer you a monthly discount so you may vote for us in January, but are we really that dumb? How on earth does it add up?
Therefore, we must begin to acknowledge that the typical Nigerian is intelligent enough to process information. The point is that the government owns NNPC, though, if I ignore that. Saying “give people a discount limited to your profit” is erroneous. Don’t we want to assist the Nigerian people?
How does it matter whether you do anything before or after if it is correct?
By the way, I mentioned that the government has proposed or is contemplating seventeen measures. Why are we only working on this one prior to the election?