- On September 3 ,2024, NNPCL increased fuel pump price
- Also on September 16, the national company again hike fuel pump price, increasing hardship for millions of Nigerians
- On September 21, 2024, Edo state held fiercely contested guber election in which APC candidate won the election
Few months to the end of year 2024, some events in the month of September have remained indelible in the minds of Nigerians and gone a long way in shaping not only the month but the future and aspirations of many Nigerians.
For millions of Nigerians, September 2024 is another month full of frustrations, deception and an alleged federal government display of insensitivity towards the citizenry.
By and large, on September 3, 2024, Nigerians woke up to discover that they were no longer buying premium motor spirit, PMS popularly known as petrol at their former price.
To the chagrin of millions of Nigerian, the retail arm of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company has announced an increase in the price of premium motor spirit (petrol) from N617/litre to N897/liter with effective from that day.
Surprisingly, this was coming barely 48 hours of Dangote refinery’s plan to distribute its petrol in Nigeria’s market. WITHIN NIGERIA findings showed that most retail stations of the NNPC adjusted to the new price of between N855 to N897/litre that September 3.
Our reporter also gathered that Aliko Dangote, the chairman of Dangote Group has earlier announced that the refined petrol from the refinery will be distributed in the Nigerian market in less than 48 hours.
He had further explained that the refinery has enough capacity to satisfy the petrol demand of not just Nigeria, but the entire sub-Saharan region of Africa.
Investigations also revealed that the fuel price is being increased for the third time since the commencement of President Tinubu-led administration in 2023.
President Tinubu, upon assumption of office in May 2023 announced the removal of fuel subsidy, which led to the increase in transportation, and hardship for many Nigerians, as the prices of goods and services increased significantly.
Following the President’s announcement, fuel price jumped from N197 to between N480 and N570. Also in July 2023, the petrol price was again increased to N617/litre at various outlets of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), while independent marketers sold the products for as high as N800/ litre.
The latest review however follows the recent revelation made by the NNPCL, stating that the cost of supplying petrol was putting financial strain on the company. This it said poses a threat to the sustainability of fuel supply in the country.
As Nigerians seemed to be lost on how to grapple with the latest price hike, on September 16, 2024, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, (NNPC Ltd) announced new fuel pump prices nationwide.
This is after it lifted the first batch of fuel from the 650,000 barrel per day capacity from Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical at Free Zone, Lekki, Lagos that was built with about $20bn.
Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Ltd, Olufemi Soneye, revealed this in a statement titled: “NNPC Ltd Releases Estimated Pump Prices of PMS from Dangote Refinery, Based on September 2024 Pricing.”
According to the template, fuel pump price in NNPC Ltd stations in Lagos State is N950.22; Oyo, N960.22; Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, N992.22; Rivers, N980.22; Sokoto, N999.22; Kano, N999.22, Kaduna, N999.22; and Borno State, N1,019.22.
Soneye said: “The NNPC Ltd has released estimated prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as Petrol (obtained from the Dangote Refinery) in its retail stations across the country.
“The NNPC Ltd also wishes to state that, in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), PMS prices are not set by the Government, but negotiated directly between parties on an arms length.
“The NNPC Ltd can confirm that it is paying Dangote Refinery in USD for September 2024 PMS offtake, as Naira transactions will only commence on October 1st, 2024.
“The NNPC Ltd assures that if the quoted pricing is disputed, it will be grateful for any discount from the Dangote Refinery, which will be passed on 100% to the general public.
“Attached to this statement are the estimated pump prices of PMS (obtained from the Dangote Refinery) across NNPC Retail Stations in the country, based on September 2024 pricing.”
However, according to the new prices, it showed thus; Lagos State, N950.22; Oyo, N960.22; Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, N992.22; Rivers, N980.22; Sokoto, N999.22; Kano, N999.22; Kaduna, N999.22; Borno State, N1,019.22.
Expectedly, with the new pump price of fuel, prices of goods in the market also jumped astronomically.
The 2024 Edo guber polls
The 2024 Edo State gubernatorial election took place on Saturday, 21 September 2024, to elect the governor and deputy governor of Edo State in their joint ticket.
Nevertheless, the incumbent PDP governor, Godwin Obaseki, was ineligible to contest for re-election, having already served two terms as allowed by the constitution of Nigeria.
He won his first tenure under the platform of All Progressives Party, APC but later decamped to Peoples Democratic Party, PDP during the 2020 election.
Political analysts have continued to see the 2024 Edo guber election as one of the most fiercely contested guber elections in Nigeria in recent times.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, a serving Senator was declared the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on 22 September 2024.
Sen. Okpebholo won with a total of 291,667 votes, defeating the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo, who garnered 247,274 votes, and the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Olumide Akpata, who came a far distant third with 22,763 votes.
Godwin Obaseki of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election in 2024. His tenure was marked by a shift from the APC to the PDP, and his exit from the political scene in Edo State paved the way for a highly contested election.
The 2024 election was seen as a three-horse race among the APC, PDP, and LP.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the results on 22 September 2024. Senator Monday Okpebholo of the APC won the election, securing victory in 11 of the state’s 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs), including key areas like Etsako West, Akoko Edo, and Oredo. PDP’s Asue Ighodalo won in seven LGAs, while Labour Party candidate Olumide Akpata did not win in any LGA.
PDP Primaries
The PDP primary was held on 22 February 2024, with lawyer and businessman Asue Ighodalo emerging as the party’s candidate after securing 99.83% of the vote. The primary was relatively smooth, despite a parallel primary that attempted to nominate the incumbent deputy governor, Philip Shaibu.
APC Primaries
The APC primary produced Senator Monday Okpebholo as its candidate. Okpebholo, a senator representing Edo North, ran on a platform to continue the developmental projects initiated by former governor Adams Oshiomhole.
Labour Party Primaries
On February 23, 2024, the Labour Party held its own primaries at Benin city.
However, the former President of Nigeria Bar Association, NBA Mr. Olumide Akpata scored 316 votes to win the LP governorship primary election in Benin City, Edo State, that Friday.
The Deputy Governor of Abia State Ikechukwu Emeta, who was the chief returning officer for the election, declared Mr Akpata as the winner of the election.
This is the first time the former NBA president is actively involved in politics, having joined the LP in August last year.
In his speech while joining the Labour Party in August, Mr. Akpata said that“I decided to take the plunge and to try to be part of the solution rather than agonising continually over the problem (of Nigeria),”
He said on Friday that winning the LP ticket is a “heavyweight” on his shoulder.
“LP is a people-centric party… The expectations are high on the part of the people,” he said.
Controversies trailing the election
Like every other off season election in Nigeria, the Edo 2024 gubernatorial election was not without controversy, as PDP and Governor Obaseki alleged electoral malpractices, accusing INEC of favoring the APC. The PDP also raised concerns about arrests of its members during the lead-up to the election, and some protests occurred at the collation center.
In the meantime, both PDP and LP have rejected the result of the election, calling it a charade.
The acting national chairman of the PDP, Ambassador Umar Damagum, in a broadcast, at the Wadata Plaza national headquarters of the party on Monday, said the results declared by INEC did not reflect the true picture of the election saying Edo people voted for Ighodalo.
Damagum said the election did not meet the 2022 Electoral Act and INEC guidelines in accordance with the state election. He described the election as an assault on the democratic rights of Edo people, adding that the party will embrace legal means to retrieve its ‘stolen’ mandate.
The Labour Party caucus in the House of Representatives has rejected the results of the election.
Speaking to reporters at the National Assembly Complex on Wednesday, House Deputy Minority Whip George Ozodinobi denounced the exercise and said that the party’s candidate was rigged out on behalf of the other thirty-two members elected on the LP platform.
He said, “The Labour Party presented the best candidate in the election, who was brazenly rigged out of the process. Our candidate, Olumide Akpata, a renowned legal professional and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, garnered significant support from the electorate but enemies of democracy thwarted his efforts and excellent standing in the election.
“It is on record that our leader and presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, campaigned vigorously for our gubernatorial candidate in every nook and cranny of the state.
“Of course, the whole world witnessed the massive crowd that the Obedient Movement pulled wherever he went during the campaign yet; Chief Akpata was allocated paltry votes in a state where LP just about a year and seven months ago, had one Senator and two House members. This is very grateful to the perpetrators of this crime.
“We are deeply concerned over the irregularities and alleged malpractices that marred the electoral process ranging from vote buying by the so-called big parties, intimidation of voters, mass thumb printing of ballot papers and pre-writing and alteration of election results, among others.”
Ozodinobi faulted INEC officials including security operatives for the alleged election rigging.