By Joshua Babatunde,Olamide Iwala,Charity Michael &Vivian Deladem

A public affairs analyst and social commentator, Elder Ayo Arogundade, has called on the Federal Government to adopt the use of the naira in fuel transactions as a deliberate move to stabilise Nigeria’s fuel market and strengthen the nation’s economy.

Arogundade, who made the call while speaking on The Crest Breakfast Show, a radio programme themed, “State of the Nation,”stressed the importance of conducting fuel transactions in the local currency instead of the United States dollar.

According to him, the continued dependence on the dollar in petroleum-related transactions has had a detrimental effect on the naira, further aggravating the rising cost of goods and services in the country.

“The over-reliance on the dollar has weakened the naira, and when the naira is weak, the prices of goods go up,” he said.

He maintained that Nigeria’s economic instability is being worsened by policy inconsistencies and emphasised that adopting naira-based transactions in the oil sector would enhance productivity and economic growth.

Arogundade also urged Nigerians to place greater emphasis on the demand for good governance, rather than engaging in endless politicking.

However, he warned that this pursuit should not overshadow the critical need for vibrant political opposition.

He lamented the near absence of functional opposition parties in the country, describing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as being in disarray and declaring that the Labour Party (LP) had virtually ceased to exist.

“The so-called opposition political parties that claim to exist do not practically exist,” he said, adding that the current political landscape is tilting dangerously toward a one-party state.

He warned that a lack of opposition is unhealthy for a constitutional democracy and could lead to dictatorship.

“Let there be a party in government and let there be a viable opposition to check the excesses of the party in power,” Arogundade stated, noting that a robust opposition would make politics and elections more competitive and interesting.

He called on Nigerians to collectively clamour for an improved electoral system that would guarantee credible elections, stressing that a transparent and fair process is key to the survival of democracy in the country.