The African Democratic Congress on Friday urged President Bola Tinubu to withdraw the 15 per cent import duty on petrol and diesel, describing the decision as insensitive and capable of worsening the economic hardship faced by Nigerians.
In a statement by its spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the Tinubu administration’s approach to economic reform had remained insensitive to the suffering of ordinary Nigerians, warning that any economic growth that condemns the majority to hardship and misery is ultimately destructive.
Tinubu had recently approved a 15 per cent ad valorem import duty on petrol and diesel brought into the country.
The policy, designed to protect local refineries and stabilise the downstream oil sector, is expected to push pump prices higher.
According to a letter dated October 21, 2025, made public on October 30 and addressed to the Federal Inland Revenue Service and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Tinubu ordered the immediate enforcement of the new tariff under what the government termed a “market-responsive import tariff framework.”
The approval, conveyed through his Private Secretary, Damilotun Aderemi, followed a proposal from FIRS Executive Chairman Zacch Adedeji.
However, in a report published by The PUNCH on Friday, petroleum marketers cautioned that the decision could push the pump price of petrol above N1,000 per litre.
Commenting on the development, the ADC criticised the levy, questioning its justification when the Port Harcourt refinery, which is central to the government’s refining plan, failed just five months after a $1.5 billion repair, causing a N366.2 billion loss.
While the party said it supported private investment in the energy sector, it urged the President to ensure that such policies prioritise citizens’ welfare and not push Nigerians to the brink.
The statement read, “The African Democratic Congress is deeply concerned by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent approval of a 15% import duty on petrol and diesel. 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 raises the question of whether the APC government ever considers the pain its policies continue to inflict on the people.
“From all indications, this new levy is likely to push the pump price of petrol beyond N1,000 per litre. If this happens, life will become even more unbearable for families, commuters, transporters, farmers, and small businesses already struggling under the burden of fuel subsidy removal without social protection and currency devaluation without safeguards.”
The party stated that the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda was a trial-and-error system with a self-serving agenda that disregards the welfare of the people.
The ADC rejected the import duty and called for its prompt withdrawal.
“While the government continues to promote a narrative of economic progress, the cost of food, rent, transport, and education continues to rise beyond the reach of most citizens. If the government persists with this latest tax measure, it will only deepen the people’s suffering.
“The ADC therefore firmly opposes this ill-conceived import duty and warns the government not to push Nigerians to the wall. We demand its immediate reversal. Nigerians deserve a government that plans, not one that panics. A government that cannot run its own refineries has no moral right to tax those who keep the country running through their sweat and toil.
“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 force Nigerians to pay more for imported fuel, which still accounts for about 60% of national supply — a gap that cannot be bridged overnight,” it added.
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