The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has alleged that President Bola Tinubu will announce implementation of fuel tax on inauguration day if re-elected, warning that pump price may rise above 1,500 naira per litre.
In a statement signed on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC said the planned tax would worsen the cost of living crisis confronting Nigerians.
The party was reacting to a disclosure by the Finance Minister, Taiwo Oyedele on the sidelines of the IMF meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, that the government would introduce fuel tax when economic conditions improve.
ADC said the real plan was to activate tax law once Tinubu is re-elected.
According to the statement, they have already enacted a law for 5 percent tax on fuel under Nigeria Tax Act and President Tinubu has signed it into law since June 2025.
The party said if tax is not activated yet, it is because of re-election, adding that once Tinubu is re-elected, he will announce new tax law on inauguration ground just as he did for fuel subsidy in 2023.
The party warned that at a petrol price of 1,450 naira per litre, a five percent surcharge passed directly to consumers would raise the price to 1,522.50 naira with potentially devastating consequences for transportation, food distribution, small businesses and household expenditure.
ADC said Tinubu led APC never runs out of new ways to make survival more expensive, stating that each time Nigerians struggle to recover from one punishing policy, another burden is waiting around the corner.
It said the government that has already removed fuel subsidies and subjected citizens to unprecedented economic pressures should be discussing relief, not preparing additional taxes.
The party questioned administration justification that proposed tax would support road infrastructure and fuel price stabilisation, insisting Nigerians deserve measurable improvements before being asked to shoulder further financial obligations.
It recalled that as governor of Lagos State in December 2003, Tinubu opposed fuel tax being contemplated by the Obasanjo administration, describing it as double taxation that placed unfair burden on citizens.
The party urged Nigerians to embrace fuel production subsidy being proposed by its Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, saying it is the only way to bring down not only cost of fuel but also cost of living generally.
