Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The Northern States Christian Elders Forum has issued a stark warning to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging him to immediately reverse the latest increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit and declaring that Nigerians’ patience with worsening economic hardship should not be mistaken for acceptance. In a statement signed by its Chairman, Elder Sunday Oibe, the forum said another petrol-price increase would only tighten the squeeze on households already struggling with food prices, transport fares and basic expenses, further weaken purchasing power and deepen the uncertainty confronting millions of Nigerians. The warning came as petrol pump prices climbed to as high as N1,400 per litre in parts of the country following Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s decision to raise its gantry price from N1,265 to N1,350 per litre, a 6.7 per cent increase effective September 12, 2026.
The elders did not mince words. “The patience of Nigerians should not be mistaken for acceptance of perpetual hardship,” NOSCEF warned, in a statement that reflected the growing frustration across Africa’s most populous nation. The forum said government should look beyond repeated increases in the cost of petroleum products if it needs additional revenue to fund its programmes and obligations, arguing that alternative and sustainable sources should be explored instead of continually transferring the burden to citizens. The elders insisted that the welfare of Nigerians must take precedence over political calculations about future elections, saying government must respond to the economic realities confronting ordinary families. “NOSCEF believes that the welfare of Nigerians must come before political calculations about future elections. The government should listen to the cries of citizens and respond with policies that provide meaningful relief,” the forum said.
While acknowledging that the administration had made efforts in some areas, Oibe said the continuing hardship across the country showed that much more needed to be done. The forum particularly cautioned the President against relying solely on officials or supporters who might give him a rosier picture of the economy than the one being experienced by citizens. “We therefore appeal to President Tinubu not to be insulated from the realities confronting ordinary Nigerians by praise-singers or officials who may present a more favourable picture of the economy,” NOSCEF said. The elders said their position was grounded in their contact with communities where the economic crisis is being felt directly. “Our members live among the people, worship with them, work with them, and experience their struggles. We cannot pretend not to see what is happening around us,” the forum said.
According to NOSCEF, the combination of hunger, insecurity, unemployment, infrastructural decay and declining purchasing power had left many Nigerians facing a profound sense of uncertainty and hopelessness. It therefore called for measures to reduce the cost of living and restore household purchasing power, create productive economic opportunities for young Nigerians, strengthen the fight against insecurity and accelerate the provision and rehabilitation of critical infrastructure. The forum also urged the Federal Government to make citizens’ welfare a central consideration in major economic decisions. “Government must respond with empathy, urgency and practical solutions,” NOSCEF said. The elders warned that continued public patience should not be interpreted as an unlimited willingness to endure worsening living conditions. “This is the time for government to demonstrate empathy, listen to the people and take decisive action to prevent further deterioration in the living conditions of citizens. Nigeria belongs to all of us, and the suffering of one Nigerian should concern every responsible leader,” the forum said.
The statement from NOSCEF is the latest in a series of interventions by the forum, which has consistently criticised the Tinubu administration’s handling of the economy. In August 2026, Oibe accused the administration of worsening Nigeria’s economic hardship and insecurity, declaring that the socio-economic conditions facing ordinary Nigerians were more difficult than they were under former President Muhammadu Buhari. The forum has also raised concerns over threats to the credibility of the 2027 general elections, warning that emerging political trends could jeopardise the democratic process. The elders’ decision to speak out on the fuel price increase reflects the deepening cost-of-living crisis that has become the defining issue of Tinubu’s presidency. Since assuming office in 2023, Tinubu has scrapped a decades-old fuel subsidy and devalued the naira, reforms that the government says are necessary for long-term prosperity but which have triggered a cost-of-living crisis and swollen Nigeria’s debt burden.
The petrol price increase that prompted the NOSCEF statement is the fourth upward review by Dangote Refinery since August 21, 2026. The refinery first raised its price from N1,165 to N1,185 per litre on August 21, moved it to N1,200 on August 26, then to N1,265 on August 29, and finally to N1,350 on September 12. In twenty-two days, the gantry price rose by N185 per litre, or approximately 15.9 per cent. The surge in international crude oil prices above $100 per barrel, driven by supply concerns linked to the continuing conflict in the Middle East, has increased the cost of refined petroleum products and altered the economics of domestic fuel supply. The National President of the Oil and Gas Services Providers Association of Nigeria, Mazi Colman Obasi, said the immediate trigger was the sharp rise in international crude oil prices, warning that if crude prices remained above $100 per barrel, domestic petrol prices could come under additional pressure.
The human cost of these increases is visible in households across the country. For families already struggling to keep up with food prices, transport fares and other basic expenses, another petrol-price increase tightens the squeeze further. The elders’ intervention is significant because it comes from a constituency that has historically been sympathetic to the Tinubu administration. Northern Christian leaders have not been among the President’s most vocal critics, and their decision to speak out suggests that the economic pain is spreading across regions and communities that the government might have assumed were politically secure. The forum’s warning that patience should not be mistaken for acceptance is a reminder that public tolerance has limits, and that the government’s political calculations for 2027 cannot be separated from the economic realities confronting ordinary Nigerians today.
For now, the government has not responded to the NOSCEF statement. The Presidency has not issued a formal reaction to the call for a reversal of the petrol price increase. The coming weeks will show whether the elders’ intervention prompts a policy shift or whether it becomes another voice in a growing chorus of criticism that the administration chooses to ignore. The forum has made its position clear. It has urged the President to listen to the cries of citizens, to reduce the cost of living, to create jobs and to strengthen security. Whether those appeals translate into action remains to be seen. What is certain is that the patience of Nigerians, as the elders warned, should not be taken for granted.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments