The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned President Bola Tinubu’s approval of a 15 percent import duty on petrol and diesel, warning that the decision could worsen the economic hardship faced by Nigerians already grappling with the rising cost of living.
In a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said while it supports private investment in the energy sector, policies designed to protect such investments must also prioritize the welfare of ordinary citizens.
The party questioned the rationale behind the new levy, describing it as insensitive and ill-timed. It noted that the government’s justification of protecting domestic production was misplaced, especially as the Port Harcourt refinery—cited as a cornerstone of the local refining strategy—collapsed just five months after a $1.5 billion rehabilitation, resulting in a ₦366.2 billion loss.
“The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is deeply concerned by the recent decision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to approve a 15 percent import duty on petrol and diesel,” the statement read.
“Coming at a time when Nigerians are already suffocating under the weight of Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda,’ this fuel tax is both insensitive and misguided. It makes one wonder if the APC government ever considers the pain its policies continue to inflict on the people.”
The party warned that the new levy could push petrol prices above ₦1,000 per litre, further worsening the plight of families, commuters, transporters, farmers, and small businesses already struggling with subsidy removal and currency devaluation.
According to the ADC, the administration’s economic reform efforts have been “insensitive to the suffering of the ordinary people,” arguing that “economic growth that condemns the majority to hardship is ultimately destructive.”
“What has become clear 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 added.
“If the government continues with this latest tax attack, it would further compound the people’s suffering.”
The ADC demanded an immediate reversal of the import duty, stating that Nigerians deserve a government that plans strategically rather than one that reacts in panic.
“A government that cannot run its own refineries has no business taxing those who keep the country running with their sweat and blood,” the statement said.
“President Tinubu must understand that economic patriotism cannot be enforced through pain. While we support private investments in the energy sector, we oppose any policy that inflicts more hardship on Nigerians.
“If the goal is energy security and domestic refining, there must first be transparent investment in local capacity. Until then, any tax imposed to discourage imports will only make Nigerians pay more for fuel—of which imports still account for 60 percent of supply.”
