FG denies fuel discount is for votes, calls claim insulting to Nigerians

The Federal Government has denied that its proposed fuel discount is intended to sway voters toward the All Progressives Congress in the 2027 general elections. Minister of Finance Taiwo Oyedele made the rebuttal during an interview on Channels Television's Politics Today on Friday, October 9, 2026. He dismissed the suggestion as insulting, asking how a one-month discount could influence votes cast in January 2027. Oyedele stressed that the discount on petrol dispensed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) for the next 30 days is meant to alleviate the cost of living for Nigerians, not to secure electoral advantage. He noted that NNPC is government-owned, so offering a discount limited to the company's profit is a legitimate way to help the public. Oyedele also pointed out that the administration is considering 17 different measures, yet only this fuel discount is being implemented before the election, undermining the vote-buying claim. Opposition figures had earlier asserted that the discount was a tactic to boost APC's prospects. The minister urged citizens to recognize their own intelligence and to evaluate policies on merit rather than timing. Will you judge the policy by its actual impact on your wallet or by suspicions of vote-buying?

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/10/10/fuel-discount-not-for-votes-we-are-not-that-dumb-fg/