According to a report by The Nigerian Tribune, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over the newly approved 15 per cent import duty on refined petroleum products, calling it anti-people.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Adebayo described the tariff as excessive and unfair, warning that it would worsen the economic hardships Nigerians are already experiencing. He argued that the government’s focus on taxation over production has left citizens bearing the cost of inefficiencies in the oil sector.
Adebayo said the president has shifted from the ideals he once represented in SDP and Hope 93, portraying him as prioritising revenue over citizens’ welfare. He criticised the administration for failing to make domestic refineries operational, which forces Nigeria to rely on imports, inflating prices for ordinary Nigerians.
He also condemned the approach of treating Nigerians as customers rather than citizens, warning that continuous imposition of taxes would deepen economic suffering. According to Adebayo, such policies ignore the real issues, including non-functional refineries and bureaucratic mismanagement of the petroleum sector.
Instead of imposing further levies, Adebayo urged the president to focus on reviving local refineries and reducing dependency on imported fuel, ensuring Nigerians are not penalised for government inefficiency.
“President Tinubu is a clever tax collector. He wants to collect taxes from you for everything, including the oxygen tax, very soon. If you’re not careful, yes, the air we breathe. Just give him time; he’s going to get there,” Adebayo said. View, More,
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