Melaye Warns Nigerians Over Rising Petrol Prices, Urges Voters to Assess Tinubu’s Economic Record
Former Kogi State Senator Dino Melaye has urged Nigerians to reflect on the country’s long history of petrol-price increases as they consider their political choices ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Melaye made the point in a social-media post in which he presented what he described as the history of petrol prices in Nigeria, beginning with six kobo in 1970 under the Yakubu Gowon administration and tracing changes through successive governments to the current period.
His list highlighted several increases recorded under different administrations, eventually reaching ₦550 and ₦617 per litre in 2023 during President Bola Tinubu’s administration and ₦1,460 in 2026.
Melaye ended the list with “₦???? 2027 ??????”, apparently leaving the question open about what petrol prices could become in the next election year.
The former senator’s message forms part of a broader political argument ahead of the 2027 elections. He is urging Nigerians to look beyond political promises and consider how changes in petrol prices and the wider cost of living have affected their households over the years.
The argument is particularly significant because petrol remains closely connected to the daily economic lives of Nigerians. Changes in the price of petrol can affect transportation costs, the movement of food and other goods, business operating expenses and the cost of running petrol-powered generators.
Since the removal of the petrol subsidy in 2023, Nigerians have experienced a major change in the pricing of the commodity. The policy has been defended by the Federal Government as necessary to reduce the financial burden of subsidising petrol, while critics have continued to point to its impact on households and businesses.
Melaye’s latest message therefore seeks to turn the issue of petrol prices into a question for voters ahead of 2027: how has the country’s economic situation affected ordinary Nigerians, and what should they expect from the government they choose at the next election?
His reference to a possible 2027 petrol price should, however, be understood as a political question rather than a confirmed prediction. The future price of petrol will depend on factors including international crude-oil prices, the naira exchange rate, domestic refining capacity, production and distribution costs, and government policy.
For Nigerians preparing to make their choices in 2027, Melaye’s message places petrol prices and the cost of living at the centre of the political conversation.
Rather than simply focusing on the figures, his appeal is for voters to remember how the price of petrol has changed over successive administrations and consider how those changes have affected their own economic circumstances.
The 2027 election will ultimately give Nigerians the opportunity to assess the records and policies of the various political parties and candidates before deciding which direction they want the country to take.