TDF Knocks Peter Obi Over Fuel Price Claims
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TDF Knocks Peter Obi Over Fuel Price Claims
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Democratic Front, TDF has dismissed recent comments by Peter Obi on rising fuel prices, describing them as a reflection of poor understanding of the global energy market.
In a statement issued on Monday by its Chairman, Mallam Danjuma Muhammad, and Secretary, Chief Wale Adedayo, the group criticised the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party for attributing the increase in petroleum prices to the absence of strategic reserves in Nigeria.
The group said it was not surprised by Obi’s intervention, alleging that he often comments on national issues without adequate knowledge.
“We had anticipated that Mr Peter Obi would, in his usual manner, jump into the public space to display his ignorance on the current global energy crisis in a bid to invent faults against the administration of President Bola Tinubu,” the statement read.
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TDF faulted Obi’s claim that the impact of the ongoing Middle East crisis on fuel prices could have been avoided if Nigeria had maintained strategic petroleum reserves.
According to the group, countries with established reserves have also been affected by the global surge in fuel prices, thereby undermining Obi’s position.
“The fact that the United States and several countries across Europe and Asia are experiencing even worse fuel price hikes despite maintaining large strategic reserves completely deconstructs his narrative,” the group stated.
The organisation also disputed Obi’s assertion that Nigeria lacks any form of strategic reserve, pointing to the role of the Dangote Refinery in stabilising supply.
It claimed that the refinery had maintained about 500 million litres of petroleum in reserve as of March 1, 2026, noting that the volume had increased following disruptions in global oil supply linked to tensions in the Middle East, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz.
TDF argued that such reserves had helped cushion the domestic market from severe shortages and prevented long queues at filling stations across the country.
The group further accused Obi of misrepresenting the broader purpose of strategic petroleum reserves, stressing that they are designed not only to address price volatility but also to mitigate supply disruptions, geopolitical pressures, and external economic shocks.
It added that the current situation in the Middle East had not significantly triggered such conditions within Nigeria to justify what it described as Obi’s alarmist claims.
TDF also referenced past fluctuations in fuel prices, recalling that petrol once sold for as high as N1,450 per litre following the removal of subsidy in 2023.
It, however, credited the administration of Tinubu for creating an enabling environment for private sector participation in refining, which it said led to a reduction in pump prices to about N750 per litre in 2025.
“While the present Middle East crisis has contributed to a rise in fuel prices globally, credit must go to President Tinubu for ensuring the seamless operation of the Dangote Refinery, which has prevented fuel scarcity and the re-emergence of queues nationwide,” the statement added.
The group maintained that fluctuations in international oil prices were driven by global market forces and geopolitical developments, insisting that Nigeria could not be entirely insulated from such external shocks.
