The 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has taken a swipe at President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving a 15 per cent import duty on refined petroleum products, describing the move as exploitative and anti-people.
Adebayo, in a post shared on his verified social media handle, said the policy reflects a government more interested in squeezing citizens than providing relief amid rising economic hardship.
He criticized the Tinubu administration for what he termed “taxing citizens into suffocation,” adding that if unchecked, the government might soon impose “an oxygen tax.”
> “When a government’s only creativity lies in taxation, not productivity, it becomes a threat to the people’s welfare,” Adebayo wrote. “If Nigerians remain silent, the day may come when we’ll be charged for breathing.”
The former presidential hopeful called on Nigerians to resist anti-poor policies and urged the government to focus on industrial growth, local refining, and job creation instead of burdening citizens with new levies.
The Federal Government recently approved a 15 per cent import duty on refined petroleum products — a decision that has sparked outrage among economic analysts and civil society groups, who fear it could further raise fuel prices and worsen inflation.
