Former Anambra State governor and Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has strongly criticized the Federal Government’s introduction of a 5% tax on all refined fossil fuel sales, including petrol and diesel.
In a statement shared on his official X account late Wednesday, Obi said the move would worsen the already severe hardship faced by Nigerians, stressing that the tax should have been delayed until citizens begin to feel the benefits of the Tinubu administration’s promises.
“Nigerians will now pay a 5% tax on petrol and diesel at a time when millions can barely afford transportation costs,” Obi wrote, arguing that leadership should be about easing suffering rather than adding to it.
He also questioned the government’s priorities, noting that despite claims of meeting revenue targets, sectors such as education and healthcare remain underfunded. Obi further pointed out that the alternative Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) option has become unaffordable, rising from about N230 to N450, while the promised subsidies have quietly disappeared.
“Why tax citizens who cannot even breathe anymore?” he asked.
