Obidients Urge Tinubu to Withdraw Proposed 5% Fuel Tax
Obidients Urge Tinubu to Withdraw Proposed 5% Fuel Tax
The Obidient Movement has cautioned the Federal Government against introducing the proposed five per cent surcharge on fuel, warning that it would worsen the plight of Nigerians already battling severe economic hardship.
Their reaction came after the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, revealed that the surcharge is part of President Bola Tinubu’s tax reform programme aimed at improving road networks and cutting logistics costs.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by its National Coordinator, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, the group described the plan as “a policy with good intentions but bound to bring suffering.”
Tanko noted that past administrations had made similar promises that new levies would transform infrastructure, yet little to nothing was achieved.
“For decades, Nigerians have been told that new taxes would repair our roads, improve healthcare, and revive the economy. Instead, trillions of naira disappear into the hands of corrupt elites, while highways deteriorate, transportation costs soar, and citizens sink deeper into poverty,” the statement said.
Emphasising that fuel is an essential commodity in Nigeria, Tanko warned that the surcharge would weigh heavily on the poor and vulnerable.
He urged the government to broaden the tax net, enforce progressive taxation on luxury goods, and curb wasteful expenditure rather than placing further burdens on ordinary Nigerians.
The Obidient Movement has maintained that no fresh fuel taxes should be introduced until the government establishes credible and transparent systems that guarantee accountability, curb corruption, and provide genuine relief to struggling citizens.
“We want functional roads, dependable infrastructure, and a resilient economy. But these cannot and must not be achieved at the expense of Nigerians already living in poverty. Without transparency, equity, and fairness in fiscal policy, we reject this 5% surcharge as nothing more than another tool of oppression,” the statement read.
Fuel pricing remains a highly sensitive subject in Nigeria, Africa’s top oil producer but also one of its largest importers of refined petroleum products.
President Bola Tinubu’s removal of the petrol subsidy in May 2023 caused a steep increase in pump prices, which in turn drove up transport fares, food prices, and overall inflation. Critics argue that adding a new fuel tax at this point would deepen the cost-of-living crisis, while government officials insist such reforms are needed to boost revenue and cut dependence on borrowing.
Since taking office, Tinubu has rolled out sweeping economic and fiscal measures, including unifying the exchange rate, abolishing fuel subsidies, and driving tax harmonisation. His administration maintains that these policies, though painful, are critical to stabilising the country’s fragile economy.
The proposed surcharge comes at a time of growing public anger over rising inflation, widespread unemployment, and persistent insecurity.
