Nigerian businessman and social commentator Isaac Fayose has criticised Nigerians who continue to support President Bola Tinubu along ethnic lines despite the sharp increase in the price of petrol.
Fayose, in a video shared online, questioned Nigerians who he said were prepared to support Tinubu simply because he is Yoruba, despite the increase in the cost of living and petrol prices under his administration.
He compared the current pump price of petrol with the price under former President Muhammadu Buhari, arguing that petrol increased from ₦87 to ₦180 per litre during Buhari’s administration.
Fayose then criticised those who supported Buhari’s emergence and later campaigned on the promise of fixing problems associated with his administration.
According to him, petrol subsequently rose from about ₦180 to around ₦1,300 per litre under Tinubu, yet some Nigerians still intend to vote for the president because of their ethnic affiliation.
“Someone that brought Buhari. Buhari carried your fuel from 87 naira to 180 naira. The person wey bring that Buhari con come say him wan fix the mess wey Buhari don put for your life. Him come carry that fuel from 180 naira to 1,300 naira and you’re still there saying na Yoruba, I go vote for am.”
Fayose described such voting behaviour as tribalism, warning that ethnic loyalty should not take precedence over economic concerns affecting Nigerians.
“Tribalism kpai… you’ll kpai in hunger.”
His comments come amid continuing political debates over fuel prices, subsidy policy and the economic impact of petrol price increases, as political parties and presidential hopefuls position themselves ahead of the 2027 general election.
Fayose’s remarks were directed at what he described as ethnic-based political support. His statements represent his political opinion and should not be taken as an independent assessment of the causes of Nigeria’s fuel price increases or the performance of either administration.
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