The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately withdraw the newly approved 15 per cent import duty on petrol and diesel, describing the policy as “insensitive” and capable of deepening the economic hardship faced by Nigerians.
In a statement released on Friday by the party’s spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the decision reflected a government disconnected from the daily struggles of citizens. The party argued that while the policy is intended to protect local refineries and stabilise the downstream oil market, it risks pushing fuel prices beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians.
“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,” the statement read. “It raises the question of whether the APC government ever considers the pain its policies continue to inflict on the people.”
President Tinubu had, in a letter dated October 21, 2025, and made public on October 30, approved the immediate implementation of the ad-valorem tariff on imported fuel. The directive, conveyed through his Private Secretary, Damilotun Aderemi, followed a proposal from the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji, who described the measure as part of a “market-responsive import tariff framework.”
The ADC, however, criticised the timing and rationale behind the new levy, noting that the Port Harcourt refinery, central to the government’s domestic refining plan, had suffered operational setbacks just months after a $1.5 billion rehabilitation, resulting in a N366.2 billion loss.
“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,” Abdullahi warned.
The party accused the Tinubu administration of pursuing a “trial-and-error economic model” under its Renewed Hope Agenda, claiming that the government’s policies have consistently prioritised fiscal targets over citizens’ welfare.
“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 statement added.
The ADC maintained that while it supports private investment and reforms aimed at achieving energy self-sufficiency, such initiatives must be transparent and centred on the welfare of citizens.
“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 per cent of national supply, a gap that cannot be bridged overnight,” the party said.
The ADC concluded by demanding the immediate reversal of the fuel import duty, insisting that “a government that cannot effectively run its own refineries has no moral right to overburden those who keep the economy running through their sweat and toil.”
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