The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has alleged that President Bola Tinubu could announce the implementation of a new fuel tax on his inauguration day if he is re-elected, warning that the move could push the pump price of petrol above N1,500 per litre.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, made the allegation while reacting to comments by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, who reportedly said on the sidelines of the IMF meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, that the fuel tax would be introduced when economic conditions improve.
Abdullahi claimed that the Federal Government had already signed the law introducing a five per cent fuel tax but was delaying its implementation because of political considerations.
“They have already enacted the law for a five per cent tax on fuel under the Nigeria Tax Act, and President Tinubu signed it into law in June 2025. If they have not activated it yet, it is because of re-election. Once Tinubu is re-elected, he will announce the new tax law on the inauguration ground, just as he did with fuel subsidy removal in 2023,” he said.
The ADC argued that if the current petrol price of about N1,450 per litre attracts the proposed five per cent tax, the price could increase to about N1,522.50 per litre.
According to the opposition party, such an increase would worsen transportation costs, food prices, business expenses and the financial burden on Nigerian households already struggling with the rising cost of living.
“The Tinubu-led APC never runs out of new ways to make survival more expensive. Each time Nigerians struggle to recover from one difficult policy, another burden is waiting around the corner. A government that has already removed fuel subsidy and imposed severe economic hardship should be discussing relief, not preparing additional taxes,” Abdullahi said.
The party also questioned the government’s explanation that the proposed tax would be used to improve road infrastructure and stabilise fuel prices, insisting that Nigerians should first see visible improvements before being asked to pay more.
ADC further recalled that Tinubu, as Governor of Lagos State in 2003, opposed a similar fuel tax proposed by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, describing it then as double taxation on citizens.
The party also urged Nigerians to support its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, saying his proposed fuel production subsidy would reduce petrol prices and ease the country’s rising cost of living.
The Federal Government has yet to officially respond to the ADC’s allegations. The Finance Minister had indicated that the fuel tax would only be implemented when economic conditions become favourable.