Fuel Price Hike: Tinubu never reached an agreement with Labour — Presidency

The Presidency has dismissed claims by the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, that President Bola Tinubu betrayed labour leaders by increasing the petrol pump price, contrary to the understanding reached during the minimum wage meeting with him.

The NLC President had, on Tuesday night, accused President Tinubu of betraying the Organized Labour, claiming that labour accepted the N70,000 national minimum wage instead of its demand of N250,000, based on an understanding that the pump price of PMS would not be increased.

However, reacting to Ajaero’s allegation, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Print Media, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, on his verified X handle, @Abdulfagge, said he was in the last two meetings where President Tinubu met with labour leaders.

He noted that there was no where an offer was made in exchange of fuel price hike. 

He described Ajaero’s claims as “dirty politics” aimed at manipulating the emotions of Nigerians.

Abdulaziz claimed that he personally attended the two meetings and that at no time was any offer made in exchange for a fuel price hike. 

According to him, “I sat through the two meetings President @officialABAT had with Labour leaders on minimum wage. At neither of the meetings was an offer made in exchange of fuel price hike. 

“Ajaero is once again playing his dirty politics with the emotions of Nigerians,” Abdulaziz said.

The NLC allegation of betrayal was as a result of the recent increase of petrol pump price from N617 per litre to N897 by the Nigeria National Petroluem Company Limited, NNPCL.