570% fuel price increase: ADC ask Nigerians to vote out APC in 2027

THE African Democratic Congress (ADC) has said that the outcome of the recent United States midterm elections, in which Americans voted to replace the ruling Republican Party in Congress amidst a nearly 37 per cent increase in fuel prices in several states, points the way for Nigerian voters grappling with a 570 per cent increase in petrol prices since President Bola Tinubu removed fuel subsidies in May 2023.

Earlier, the opposition party had urged Nigerians to emulate the Americans in the immediate aftermath of the US midterm elections, in which the ruling Republican Party suffered a crushing defeat.

In a statement issued it’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdillahi, the party acknowledged the shockwaves of the election has continued to reverberate across the world adding that the outcome of the US election confirms its own position that the cost of living and affordability have become major issues in determining electoral outcomes and urged Nigerians to take a cue from the situation in America as the country heads to the polls in January.

“The lesson from America is simple: governments must answer to the people for their economic decisions. In January, the cost of living must be at the centre of Nigeria’s democratic choice.

“On Tuesday many voters were responding to fuel-price increases of about 37 per cent. Nigerians have experienced a far steeper increase, with average petrol prices rising from N238.11 per litre in May 2023 to N1,596.25 by May 2026, translating to about a 570 per cent increase.”

The party explained that an increase of 570 per cent in petrol prices is not just an economic statistic, but the reason transportation has become unaffordable, food prices have risen and small businesses are struggling to survive.

“Every Nigerian household is paying the price for the APC and Tinubu’s failed policies,” the statement said, adding that while the government has continued to ask Nigerians to make sacrifices for a better future, more than three years later, the government has failed to show how the removal of subsidies could possibly benefit ordinary citizens.

“As January 16 approaches, Nigerians deserve clear answers about how fuel, electricity, food and transportation would be made affordable. The APC and President Tinubu clearly do not have answers. It is for the same reason that Americans voted against the ruling Republican Party, and it is for the same reason that Nigerians should reject the ruling APC in January,” the party said.