The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has maintained that the Federal Government agreed not to increase petrol prices during negotiations for a new minimum wage. This comes in response to claims by Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu, who denied such an agreement and accused NLC President Joe Ajaero of “dirty politics.”
In a statement, NLC spokesperson Ben Upah reiterated that the government had offered a choice between raising petrol prices or setting a minimum wage, which labour leaders rejected. The NLC criticized the government’s policies for worsening living conditions and emphasized that Nigerians deserve a better quality of life.
However, the Democratic Front (TDF) defended the government, arguing that President Tinubu did not promise to control petrol prices in a deregulated market. TDF noted that fuel prices are influenced by market forces and that local refining efforts, particularly through the Dangote Refinery, are expected to reduce costs soon.
