Tinubu might soon ‘Collect Tax for the Air we Breathe’ if Nigerians are not careful  —  Adebayo

Adebayo Criticises Tinubu’s 15% Fuel Import Duty, Warns of Rising Taxes

Prince Adewole Adebayo, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has strongly criticised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to introduce a 15% import duty on refined petroleum products, describing it as anti-people and exploitative.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Adebayo accused the Tinubu administration of focusing more on tax collection than improving citizens’ welfare.

“President Tinubu is a clever tax collector. He wants to tax everything — if Nigerians aren’t careful, he might even impose an oxygen tax one day,” Adebayo said.

He argued that the new tariff contradicts the ideals Tinubu once championed, noting that the president had “moved from the people’s side to the money side.”

According to Adebayo, the import duty will only worsen the financial burden on Nigerians already facing rising fuel prices and inflation.

“When you add a 15% tariff to imported petrol, it’s ordinary Nigerians who will pay for it at the pump,” he stated.

The SDP leader also criticised the federal government’s continued reliance on imported fuel despite numerous promises and investments aimed at reviving local refineries.

“The president is also the Minister of Petroleum. Instead of introducing more taxes, he should fix the refineries. Call the officials in charge and make sure Nigeria produces enough fuel locally within six months,” he advised.

While the federal government maintains that the tariff aims to protect domestic refineries and stabilise the downstream sector, Adebayo insists that true stability will only come through refinery rehabilitation, not increased taxation.