ADC Warns Tinubu: Nigerians Can’t Endure More Hardship Over Fuel Tax

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reconsider the newly approved 15 percent import duty on petrol and diesel, warning that the move could deepen economic hardship and push Nigerians “to the brink of revolt.”

In a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC acknowledged the importance of encouraging local refining but condemned the new tax as “insensitive and poorly timed.”

“Introducing a fresh levy on imported fuel at a time when Nigerians are suffocating under the weight of economic reforms reflects insensitivity and poor judgement,” Abdullahi said.

The opposition party warned that the measure could push petrol prices above ₦1,000 per litre, worsening inflation and crippling small businesses, transporters, and farmers already struggling with the high cost of living.

“From all indications, this new levy is likely to push the pump price of petrol beyond ₦1,000 per litre. If this happens, life would become even more unbearable for families, commuters, farmers, and small businesses already reeling from subsidy removal without social protection and currency devaluation without safeguards,” he added.

The ADC dismissed government claims that the tax would promote local refining as “deeply flawed,” citing the Port Harcourt refinery’s collapse just months after a $1.5 billion rehabilitation project that ended in a ₦366.2 billion loss.

“What has become clear to us is that the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda is, at best, a trial-and-error system and, at worst, a cynical, self-serving agenda that has no consideration for ordinary Nigerians,” the statement said.

The party accused the federal government of deepening poverty through poorly designed economic policies that prioritize fiscal experiments over citizens’ welfare.

“While the government continues to push the narrative of economic progress, food, rent, and transport, not to talk of school fees, continue to be priced out of reach. This latest tax attack will only worsen the people’s suffering,” Abdullahi warned.

The ADC therefore called for an immediate reversal of the 15% fuel import duty, describing it as “ill-conceived, anti-people, and economically reckless.”

“We firmly oppose this import duty and warn the government not to push Nigerians to the wall. Growth that condemns the majority to misery is neither sustainable nor moral. Nigerians deserve a government that plans, not one that panics,” the party said.

The statement further criticized the government for taxing importers while failing to manage its own refineries effectively.

“A government that cannot run its own refineries has no business taxing those who keep the country running with their sweat and blood. President Tinubu must understand that economic patriotism cannot be enforced through pain,” Abdullahi stated.

While supporting private investment in oil and gas, the ADC emphasized that energy reforms should be gradual, transparent, and accompanied by social protection measures.

“If the goal is energy security, there must first be transparent investment in local refining. Until then, taxing imports—which still account for about 60 percent of supply—will only make fuel more expensive,” he added.

Concluding, the party urged the Tinubu administration to act with empathy and foresight, warning that policies driven by desperation would only further alienate citizens.

“Nigerians are tired of paying for government inefficiency. It is time to govern with compassion and competence, not experiments that turn citizens into casualties,” the ADC declared.

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