Tinubu To Push Petrol Above N1,500 With Fuel Tax – ADC

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has warned that President Bola Tinubu plans to introduce a five per cent fuel tax immediately after his inauguration if re-elected in 2027, potentially pushing petrol prices above N1,500 per litre.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, made the allegation in a statement on Tuesday while reacting to Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele’s disclosure that the government would introduce the tax when economic conditions improve.

Abdullahi alleged that the administration was delaying implementation of the tax for political reasons, warning that Nigerians could face another round of economic hardship after the 2027 presidential election.

“They have already enacted the law for a five per cent tax on fuel under the Nigeria Tax Act. And President Tinubu has signed it into law since June 2025,” he said.

“If they are not activating it yet, it’s because of re-election. Once Tinubu is re-elected, he will announce the new tax law on the inauguration ground, just as he did for fuel subsidy in 2023.”

The ADC said the proposed levy could increase petrol prices from the current N1,450 per litre to N1,522.50 if the full five per cent surcharge is passed on to consumers.

It warned that the increase would further raise transportation costs, food prices, business operating expenses and household spending amid the country’s cost-of-living crisis.

“This Tinubu-led APC never runs out of new ways to make survival more expensive,” the party said.

“Each time Nigerians struggle to recover from one punishing policy, another burden is waiting around the corner. A government that has already removed fuel subsidies and subjected citizens to unprecedented economic pressures should be discussing relief, not preparing additional taxes.”

The opposition party also challenged the administration’s justification that the proposed tax would fund road infrastructure and support fuel-price stabilisation, insisting that Nigerians deserved measurable improvements before being subjected to additional financial burdens.

The ADC further recalled that Tinubu, as Lagos State governor in December 2003, had opposed a fuel tax contemplated by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, describing it as “double taxation.”

The party accused Tinubu of abandoning that position, alleging that his administration was now prepared to impose additional costs on Nigerians already struggling with high living expenses.

It urged Nigerians to embrace the fuel production subsidy proposed by the ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, arguing that the policy would reduce petrol prices and ease the broader cost-of-living crisis.

“It’s the only way to bring down, not only the cost of fuel, but also the cost of living generally,” the party said.