Oyo State Governor and Presidential Candidate of the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde, has said Nigeria’s petroleum resources must deliver direct and measurable benefits to ordinary Nigerians through a transparent and accountable pricing system.
Makinde stated this on Monday while commissioning the APM Campaign Office in Abuja, describing the event as the beginning of a broader national conversation on his “Reset Nigeria” agenda.
The presidential candidate clarified that his position on petrol pricing was not a call for the return of the old fuel subsidy regime, but rather a demand for a transparent system that reflects Nigeria’s status as an oil-producing country.
According to him, crude oil supplied to Nigerian refineries should not be priced in a manner that ignores the advantage of domestic production.
“Nigeria’s oil must provide a real and measurable benefit to Nigerians. That benefit should be built into the system from the beginning, through the price at which crude oil is supplied for domestic refining—not through an opaque intervention at the petrol pump,” Makinde said.
He called for complete transparency across the petroleum value chain, including crude production, domestic allocation, refining, transportation, distribution, taxes and retail margins.
Makinde said Nigerians deserved to know how the final price of petrol was determined, who benefited from the system and where inefficiencies contributed to higher costs.
He explained that the Reset Nigeria agenda was aimed at building a country where government decisions and the use of public resources were open to scrutiny.
“It means that we stop accepting systems that nobody can explain. It means that government must show its workings,” he said.
The Oyo State governor also dismissed suggestions that his presidential campaign could be discounted, recalling how he was initially written off when he first contested for the governorship of Oyo State.
He said the people ultimately proved political predictions wrong by electing him, adding that millions of Nigerians seeking a better future could not be ignored.
Makinde said the concerns of market women, farmers, workers, small-business owners and young Nigerians must form part of the national conversation on the country’s future.
“But we count. Our voices count. Our experiences count. Our ideas count. And, together, our votes will count,” he declared.
He urged Nigerians to actively participate in the Reset Nigeria movement by questioning policies, challenging ideas, contributing solutions and organising within their communities.
According to him, the newly commissioned campaign office would serve as a platform for Nigerians to contribute to discussions about building a more transparent, accountable and prosperous nation.
“They may discount one candidate. But they cannot discount millions of Nigerians united behind a better future,” Makinde said.
He concluded by calling for a Nigeria where leadership was accountable and the country’s resources worked directly for the benefit of its citizens.
“This is our country. These are our resources. We count. And together, we will Reset Nigeria,” he added.
