Tinubu Might Soon Impose ‘Oxygen Tax’ If Nigerians Are Not Careful — Adebayo

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s approval of a 15 per cent import duty on refined petroleum products, describing the move as exploitative and anti-people.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Adebayo accused the president of prioritising revenue collection over public welfare.

“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.

He described the new import duty as unjust and inconsistent with the ideals Tinubu once espoused.

“It is an anti-people decision and a trend in the new Tinubu,” he said. “Tinubu that used to be in SDP, following Abiola everywhere during Hope ’93, has practically changed to the side of the money people. They see you as a customer, not a citizen.”

Adebayo warned that the policy would worsen the hardship of Nigerians already struggling with rising living costs.

“If you put 15 per cent tariffs on imported petrol, who will pay for it? It’s going to be paid by the person who buys the petrol at the filling station,” he said.

The SDP flagbearer also criticised the federal government’s reliance on imported fuel, blaming it for failing to rehabilitate Nigeria’s refineries despite years of investment.

“You are the reason we cannot meet our domestic consumption. The president is the Minister of Petroleum. What kind of chaotic system is this?” he asked.

He urged President Tinubu to prioritise refinery repairs instead of introducing more taxes.

“Call Heineken Lokpobiri and Bayo Ojulari and say, ‘I want those refineries to work in six months.’ Reduce importation to zero,” he advised.

Although the federal government has defended the new tariff as a measure to protect local refineries and stabilise the downstream sector, Adebayo maintained that fixing domestic refineries should take precedence over imposing additional taxes.