Nigerians and political groups have criticised Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo after he compared petrol prices in Nigeria and the United Kingdom, saying Nigerians should consider themselves to be “enjoying” because petrol is more expensive in the UK.
Okpebholo made the remarks on September 24, 2026, while speaking at the “Operation Rescue Benin-Asaba Road” event in Edo State. He said he had visited London and checked the price of petrol there, which he said translated to more than N3,000 per litre.
The governor argued that Nigerians were therefore paying less for petrol and said the country was “doing very well,” while defending the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Okpebholo also acknowledged that the reforms were difficult but said Nigerians would eventually begin to see their benefits. He compared the process to an aircraft taking off, saying the country had not yet reached what he described as “cruising level.”
His comments have since attracted criticism, particularly from the Allied Peoples Movement (APM). The party argued that comparing petrol prices in Nigeria with those in the UK without considering differences in wages, purchasing power and living costs gives an incomplete picture of the burden facing Nigerians.
The APM said Nigerian households were already struggling with high transportation and living costs and called the governor’s comparison inappropriate. It also demanded Okpebholo’s resignation over what it described as an insensitive response to the economic hardship facing citizens.
Fuel prices have remained a major source of economic pressure in Nigeria. Recent reports put petrol prices at around ₦1,400 per litre in Lagos and Abuja, with some parts of the country recording prices of about ₦1,500 per litre.
The controversy has therefore shifted attention from the nominal price of petrol in different countries to the wider question of affordability, particularly how fuel costs compare with the incomes and purchasing power of ordinary Nigerians.
Okpebholo, however, maintained his support for the Federal Government’s economic direction and pointed to ongoing infrastructure projects as evidence of progress. He also expressed support for President Tinubu continuing in office ahead of the 2027 election.
