The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused President Bola Tinubu of being insensitive to the plight of Nigerians and heaping more pain on the citizens with the policies being rolled out by his government.

The ADC made the submission in a statement on Friday, signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, in which the party reacted to Tinubu’s approval of a 15 percent import duty on petrol and diesel.

The party stated that the new import duty would further deepen the economic hardship for Nigerians already burdened by the rising cost of living, warning the President not to push the people to the wall.

The ADC added that while it supports private investments in the energy sector, policies meant to protect such investments must also protect the people and put their interests first.

The party also questioned the rationale behind imposing the levy under the guise of protecting domestic production, pointing out that the Port Harcourt refinery, cited as a key component of the government’s local refining strategy, collapsed just five months after a 1.5 billion dollar rehabilitation, resulting in a 366.2 billion naira loss.

Naijaonpoint reports that the party also faulted what is described as the Tinubu administration’s approach to economic reform, which condemns the majority of citizens to a life of hardship and misery.

It noted that the new tax would likely push the price of petrol beyond N1,000 per litre and cause greater hardship to citizens.

The full statement read: “The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is deeply concerned by the recent decision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to approve 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, and makes one wonder if the APC government ever considers the pains that its policies have continued 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 would become even more unbearable for families, commuters, transporters, farmers, and small businesses already struggling under the weight of fuel subsidy removal without social protection and currency devaluation without safeguards.

“What has become clear is that the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda is, at best, a trial-and-error system and, at worst, a cynical, self-serving agenda that has no consideration for the ordinary people of Nigeria.

“While the government continues to push the narrative of economic progress, food, rent, and transport—not to talk of school fees—continue to be priced out of the reach of ordinary Nigerians. If the government continues with this latest tax attack, it would further compound the people’s suffering.

“The ADC therefore firmly opposes this ill-conceived import duty and warns the government not to push the people to the wall. We demand that it be reversed immediately. Nigerians deserve a government that plans, not one that panics. A government that cannot run its own refineries has no business taxing those who keep the country running with their sweat and blood.

“President Tinubu must understand that economic patriotism cannot be enforced through pain. While we support private investments in the energy sector, we oppose any policy that could inflict more pain on Nigerians. If the goal is energy security and domestic refining, let there first be transparent investment in local capacity. Until then, any tax imposed to discourage import will only lead to people paying more for imported fuel, which still stands at 60% of supply—a gap that cannot be substituted overnight.”

Naijaonpoint reports that despite concerning reactions from stakeholders about the new policy, the presidency has declared that the 15 per cent approval of import duty on diesel and premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, is a bridge, not a burden.

In a statement via X on Friday, Special Adviser on Media & Public Communication to President Bola Tinubu, Sunday Dare, described the approval as a bold and strategic move aimed at reshaping Nigeria’s energy landscape.

According to the presidential aide, the new policy is designed to encourage local refining, boost domestic capacity, and ensure that Nigeria’s oil wealth translates directly into national prosperity.

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