Tinubu’s Aide Hits Back At Peter Obi
Dada Olusegun, Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Social Media, has criticised Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi over his comments on rising fuel prices in Nigeria.
The presidential aide said Obi’s remarks were inaccurate and did not reflect the real factors driving the increase.
Olusegun made the response in a post on X on Saturday while reacting to Obi’s earlier statement in which the former Anambra governor blamed Nigeria’s vulnerability to global oil shocks on the absence of a strategic petroleum reserve and poor planning.
Obi had pointed to the rise in petrol and diesel prices, linking it to global tensions involving Iran and their effect on the oil market.
According to Olusegun, the immediate reason behind the higher pump prices is the deregulated fuel market that followed the removal of subsidy by the Tinubu administration.
He explained that in a deregulated system, fuel prices respond directly to global oil prices, exchange rates, shipping costs and supply risks.
He added that strategic petroleum reserves are mainly used during serious supply emergencies such as wars or major disruptions and not for controlling everyday pump prices.
Olusegun also argued that Nigeria’s deeper challenge lies in limited refining capacity and dependence on imported fuel, saying long-term solutions should focus on strengthening domestic refining and stabilising the economy.
