Tinubu pushing Nigerians to wall – ADC condemns 15% fuel import tax

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has faulted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval of a 15 per cent import duty on petrol and diesel, describing the move as “insensitive and ill-conceived,” and warning that it could worsen the economic hardship already faced by Nigerians.

In a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said while it supports private investment in Nigeria’s energy sector, the government’s protectionist measures must not come at the expense of the citizens.

According to Abdullahi, the policy could push petrol prices above ₦1,000 per litre, a development he said would further impoverish millions of households, commuters, and small businesses already struggling under the burden of subsidy removal and currency devaluation.

“This new fuel tax is both insensitive and misguided. One begins to wonder if the APC government ever considers the pains its policies continue to inflict on the people,” the statement read.

“Nigerians deserve a government that plans, not one that panics.”

The ADC also questioned the rationale behind the levy, noting that the Port Harcourt refinery, a key part of the government’s local refining strategy, collapsed just five months after a $1.5 billion rehabilitation, resulting in a loss of ₦366.2 billion.

The party argued that the Tinubu administration’s economic policies have consistently failed to prioritise the welfare of ordinary citizens.

“Economic growth that condemns the majority to a life of hardship and misery is ultimately destructive,” Abdullahi added.

Furthermore, the ADC urged the government to immediately withdraw the tax and adopt a people-centred approach to economic reform.

“If the goal is energy security and domestic refining, then there must first be transparent investment in local capacity,” the statement emphasised.

“Until that happens, any import levy will only make life harder for Nigerians who depend on imported fuel, which still accounts for about 60 per cent of the national supply.”

The party concluded by warning that further economic strain could push Nigerians beyond their limits, insisting that “President Tinubu must not push the people to the wall.”