The Social Democratic Party (SDP) 2023 presidential candidate, Adewole Adebayo, has criticized President Bola Tinubu for approving a 15 per cent import tariff on refined petroleum products, describing the decision as unpopular.
Adebayo, who spoke on the television channel’s Politics Today program on Thursday, accused the president of imposing excessive taxes on Nigerians.
“President Tinubu is a smart tax collector. He wants to tax you very soon on everything, including the oxygen tax.
“If you’re not careful, yes, the air we breathe. Just give it time, it’s going to get there,” he said.
Adebayo said the import tax was unfair and went against the ideals Tinubu once stood for.
“It is an unpopular decision and a trend in the new Tinubu. Tinubu who used to be in the SDP, following Abiola everywhere doing Hope 93, has practically switched to the side of the money people.
“They see you as a customer, not a citizen. If you have twins and triplets in your house, Tinubu is going to think about the twin tax or the ‘multiple birth tax’.” He’s just thinking about how to raise more money. “It’s wrong,” he said.
Adebayo warned that the new tariff would increase the suffering of Nigerians already struggling with economic hardship.
“If 15 percent tariffs are imposed on imported gasoline, who is going to pay for it? The person who buys the gasoline at the gas station will pay it,” he said.
He blamed the government for failing to fix Nigeria’s refineries and criticized the president for prioritizing taxes over production.
“You are the reason we cannot satisfy our domestic consumption. The president is the Minister of Petroleum. What kind of chaotic system is this?” asked.
“For example, we gave you refineries to run. You made yourselves Minister of Oil. We spent billions on maintenance. You are not making the refineries work.
“You’re the reason we’re importing now. Because you’re importing, you went from ‘I’m not paying subsidies, we’re net zero, no one pays subsidies,’ to now you want to charge me a premium for your inefficiency. Am I the reason the refineries aren’t working?” asked.
Adebayo urged the president to focus on reviving local refineries instead of burdening Nigerians with more taxes.
“What you need to do is call Heineken Lokpobiri and Bayo Ojulari and tell them: ‘I want those refineries running. I give you six months and I want the fuel import to be reduced to zero.’
READ ALSO TOP STORIES OF Newslodge