As fuel scarcity continues to grip Benin City, residents have expressed their frustration over the skyrocketing pump prices and the hardships they endure daily, blaming the APC-led federal government for their plight.
With the Edo governorship election approaching, many voters have vowed to express their discontent at the ballot box, stating that they will not support the All Progressives Congress (APC) due to the severe economic challenges faced under their leadership.
The current fuel scarcity, which has seen petrol prices soar to over 1,000 naira per litre at some stations, has worsened the already difficult living conditions for many Edo State residents.
In interviews conducted at several petrol stations across Benin City, frustrated motorists and residents queued for hours, sharing their thoughts on how the situation would influence their voting choices in the upcoming election.
At a petrol station along Sapele Road, where queues stretched for several meters, some residents expressed outrage at the current state of affairs.
Stanley Osamede, a taxi driver, spoke bitterly about how the high cost of fuel is affecting his livelihood.
“How can we survive like this? I used to fill my car with about 10,000 naira, but now it takes almost 25,000 to fill my tank, and I still have to wait hours in this queue. The government doesn’t care about us,” Osamede said angrily.
“This APC government has made life unbearable for us. We are suffering, and we cannot continue like this,” he thundered.
Others in the queue echoed his sentiments, pointing to the fuel crisis as part of a larger pattern of economic mismanagement by the federal government.
Chiamaka Eze, a trader waiting in line at a station along Ikpoba Hill, voiced her dissatisfaction with the situation.
She said: “Since APC took over, things have been going from bad to worse. Now, we can’t even afford to transport goods, and it is killing small businesses. How can we survive with this level of hardship?
“They want us to suffer forever, but we will show them at the polls in September. Edo people are wise, and we will not allow APC to take over our state.”
For many residents, the impact of the fuel price increase has permeated every aspect of daily life, from transportation to food prices. At another petrol station along Ugbowo Road, Emmanuel Izevbuwa, a young graduate who works as a commercial motorcyclist, lamented the cost of running his bike.
“I have to raise the fare for passengers because I can’t afford to buy fuel at these high prices anymore.
“The cost of everything has gone up—food, transportation, even basic goods. It’s like we are being punished for living in Nigeria. It’s clear that this government does not care about ordinary people,” Izevbuwa said.
He, like many others in the queue, said he plans to “punish” the APC by voting against them in the Edo election.
“I will collect whatever they bring, but I will not vote for APC. I can’t suffer like this and still give them my vote. No way,” he declared.
The fuel scarcity has only added to the frustration felt by many Edo residents, who say that the economic hardship caused by the federal government has reached its peak.
Outside a fuel station on Airport Road, Mrs Itohan Amadasun, a teacher, expressed her displeasure with the ruling party.
“We have endured enough under this APC government. Since Buhari’s administration till now that Tinubu is in power, things have not improved.
“They promised Renewed Hope, but what we are seeing is worse than what we had before. The people of Edo State must reject this suffering.”
Another resident, Augustine Imasuen, a civil servant, stated that the APC’s failures at the national level have shown that the party cannot be trusted with the future of Edo State.
“We are tired of suffering. The cost of living has become unbearable, and this fuel issue is just another example of their incompetence. Edo people will not vote for APC.
“The hardship we are facing is enough sign that they don’t mean well for us or for Nigeria,” Imasuen said while standing in line to buy fuel.
As fuel queues persist and prices continue to rise, the growing dissatisfaction with the ruling party is very evident in Edo State.
“We are ready to vote for change. I will never vote for a party that has caused us this much pain.
“We don’t need APC in Edo State. If we let them take over here, the suffering will only get worse,” Sarah Odion, a market woman, said.
With the Edo governorship election drawing nearer, the mood in Benin City suggests that the fuel crisis and economic hardships will be critical factors shaping the outcome of the vote.
Many residents, feeling abandoned by the current government, are eager to make their voices heard at the polls.