The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s approval of a 15 per cent import duty on petrol and diesel, describing the decision as insensitive and one that could deepen the economic hardship faced by Nigerians already battling high living costs.
In a statement issued on Friday by its spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said it supports private-sector investment in the energy industry but urged the President to prioritise the welfare of citizens when implementing fiscal policies.
President Tinubu recently approved a 15% ad-valorem import tariff on petrol and diesel, a measure the government says aims to protect local refineries and stabilise the downstream oil sector. However, analysts warn the move could cause pump prices to surge.
According to a letter dated October 21, 2025, and made public on October 30, the directive—addressed to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA)—ordered the immediate enforcement of the new tariff under a so-called “market-responsive import tariff framework.”
The approval, conveyed through the President’s Private Secretary, Damilotun Aderemi, followed a proposal by FIRS Executive Chairman, Zacch Adedeji.
Petroleum marketers, however, warned that the policy could drive the pump price of petrol above ₦1,000 per litre, further worsening inflation and the cost of living.
Reacting, the ADC condemned the levy, questioning its rationale given that the Port Harcourt refinery, a key part of the government’s local refining agenda, reportedly broke down just five months after a $1.5 billion rehabilitation, resulting in a ₦366.2 billion loss.
“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,” the party said.
The ADC further warned that the new levy could push petrol prices beyond ₦1,000 per litre, making life “even more unbearable” for families, transporters, farmers, and small businesses already reeling from fuel subsidy removal, currency depreciation, and rising inflation.
“What has become clear is that the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda is, at best, a trial-and-error experiment and, at worst, a self-serving project that disregards the welfare of ordinary Nigerians,” the statement added.
The ADC therefore rejected the 15% import duty and called for its immediate withdrawal, urging the federal government to adopt policies that prioritise citizens’ economic wellbeing over fiscal experimentation.
