Femi Adesina, spokesman of President Muhammadu Buhari, says the difference between his principal and former President Goodluck Jonathan is trust.

Adesina said this in response to Jonathan’s comments on the reaction of Nigerians to the hike in petroleum products under Buhari.

In 2012 when Jonathan’s government increased the price of fuel from N67 to N97, there were a series of protest across the country.

Three years later, when he was seeking re-election, Jonathan reduced the price to N87, a move that was seen as political.

Last year, the current administration pushed the price to N143 and there was little or no resistance.

Commenting on this when he received Tunde Adeniran, a chairmanship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Abuja on Thursday, Jonathan said: “My government was severely criticised for increasing the pump price of petroleum from N67 to N97 at a time that global crude price was going for over 100 dollars.

“The pump price was later reduced to N87 when the price of crude oil dropped and they attacked us that it was supposed to be lower. Those who criticised my administration are not talking again now that the global crude oil is about 53 dollars per barrel and the pump price of petrol is N143.”

But in a tweet on Friday, Adesina said: “When petrol went to N145 under PMB, Nigerians held their peace, unlike when they shut the country in 2012. The difference is trust. Simple.”

When petrol went to N145 under PMB, Nigerians held their peace, unlike when they shut the country in 2012. The difference is trust. Simple.

Since he lost the 2015 election, Jonathan has been avoiding critical statements about the government in power.

But the Nigerian leader did not spare the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in his comments on Thursday.

Accusing the ruling party of spreading propaganda and lies, Jonathan descended on Babatunde Fashola, minister of power, works and housing, who as governor of Lagos, said a serious government must be able to fix the power sector.

Jonathan said the Buhari government had not been able to achieve its promise on power since it took over from him on May 29, 2015.

“The PDP administration for 16 years did well and will continue to do well but this administration has done nothing. They deployed propaganda and lies at a professional level,” he had said.

“In the power sector, we did well to revive it. A state governor attacked our government, saying that any serious government should be able to fix the power challenge within six months.

“Today, APC has been in power for how many years now? Fortunately, the then governor is in the APC government as a minister.”