ADC: Tinubu may impose fuel tax after 2027 re-election, petrol could hit N1,522

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has alleged that President Bola Tinubu could introduce a five per cent fuel tax immediately after securing re-election in 2027, warning that petrol prices could rise above N1,500 per litre.

The opposition party said the proposed tax could worsen Nigeria’s cost-of-living crisis, increasing transportation costs, food prices and operating expenses for small businesses.

The ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, made the allegation in a statement issued on Tuesday, October 20, in response to comments by the Minister of State for Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, that the government would introduce the fuel tax when economic conditions improve.

Abdullahi claimed that the government was delaying implementation of the tax for political reasons ahead of the 2027 general election.

“They have already enacted the law for a five per cent tax on fuel under the Nigeria Tax Act. And President Tinubu has signed it into law since June 2025. If they have not activated it yet, it is because of re-election,” he said.

The party alleged that Tinubu could announce the measure during his inauguration if re-elected, drawing a parallel with his announcement of the removal of the petrol subsidy during his inauguration in May 2023.

Using a petrol price of N1,450 per litre, the ADC said a five per cent surcharge passed on to consumers would increase the price to N1,522.50 per litre.

The party criticised the administration for considering additional financial burdens on Nigerians who are already grappling with rising living costs.

“This Tinubu-led APC never runs out of new ways to make survival more expensive. Each time Nigerians struggle to recover from one punishing policy, another burden is waiting around the corner,” the statement said.

The ADC also questioned the government’s justification for the tax, which it said was intended to support road infrastructure and fuel-price stabilisation.

It argued that Nigerians should see measurable improvements in infrastructure and economic conditions before being asked to pay additional taxes.

The party further accused Tinubu of inconsistency, recalling that he opposed a proposed fuel tax by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in December 2003, describing it at the time as double taxation.

The ADC urged Nigerians to support the fuel production subsidy proposed by its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, arguing that the policy would reduce petrol prices and the broader cost of living.

However, the party’s prediction that Tinubu would introduce the tax after a possible re-election remains an allegation. The statement did not provide evidence that the President had made such a commitment.