Laide Olabanji Questions Nigerians’ Reaction to ₦1,500 Petrol Price, Cites Tribalism

Yoruba actor Laide Olabanji has criticised what he described as tribalism in Nigerians’ reactions to the rising cost of petrol. In a statement shared on Instagram, Olabanji questioned why some Nigerians who previously complained about petrol prices under an earlier administration now appear more accepting of significantly higher prices under the current government. He compared the previously reported petrol price of ₦65 per litre with the current price, which he put at about ₦1,500 per litre. Olabanji argued that some Nigerians may be viewing the issue differently because a politician from their preferred ethnic group is currently in power. His comments come amid renewed increases in petrol prices across parts of Nigeria. Recent reports have put pump prices at around ₦1,375–₦1,400 per litre at several major filling stations, with prices varying by location and marketer. Olabanji's remarks have therefore raised a broader question about whether Nigerians judge economic policies consistently regardless of the ethnic or political identity of the government in power. His comments represent his personal view and should not be taken as an independently established explanation for Nigerians’ differing reactions to petrol prices. Source: Gistreel, citing Olabanji’s Instagram statement.