THE Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has directed its members to reduce pump price of fuel from N145 to N140 per litre in a bid to motivate Nigerians to travel for the rescheduled presidential election come February 23.

The instruction was contained in a statement by the National President of the association, Chinedu Okoronkwo.

The association said the marketers were expected to comply with the directive from February 20 to February 25 in order to ease the burden of travelling cost during the February 23 election.

The IPMAN’s decision followed the Saturday’s last-minute postponement of presidential and National Assembly elections by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The postponement had caused loss not only on the electoral commission but also on the voters who travelled to their polling unit areas; observers and journalists who needed to cover the election. The Nigeria voting system is such that one can only vote at the polling unit where one registered.

‘We urge all our members across Nigeria to immediately reduce the fuel pump price from N145 per litre to N140 per litre because of the political situation that hit the country after INEC suddenly announced the postponement of presidential and National Assembly elections after Nigerians were fully prepared,” part of the statement read

According to IPMAN, Nigerians travelled to different places across the country to cast their votes, but to their dismay, the election was shifted to Feb. 23.

“We are all aware how Nigerians travelled to different parts of the country in order to exercise their civic duty; unfortunately, they heard sad news of the postponement of the polls,” the IPMAN’s president said.

He said the situation made them decide to reduce the pump price in order to ease citizens suffering and to also motivate people to travel again to exercise their duty on Feb. 23.

Okoronkwo, therefore, urged their members nationwide to immediately comply with the directive to enable Nigerians travel.