Tinubu Told to Drop Fuel Surcharge Plan as Obidients Raise Alarm

The Obidient Movement has cautioned the Federal Government against introducing a planned five per cent fuel surcharge, warning that the policy would worsen the hardship faced by Nigerians already struggling with rising living costs.
The group’s position follows comments by Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, who said the levy is part of President Bola Tinubu’s broader tax reforms aimed at improving road infrastructure and easing logistics costs.
In a statement on Tuesday, National Coordinator Dr. Yunusa Tanko described the plan as “a policy built on noble intentions, but destined for misery.” He argued that past governments had made similar promises that new levies would fund infrastructure, yet Nigerians had little to show for it.
“For decades, Nigerians have been fed the same promises: new levies will ‘fix our roads,’ ‘power our hospitals,’ and ‘transform our economy.’ Instead, trillions vanish into the pockets of corrupt elites while our highways crumble, transport costs skyrocket, and ordinary Nigerians are pushed deeper into poverty,” Tanko said.
He stressed that fuel is not a luxury in Nigeria and that any additional charges would unfairly target the poor. The group urged government to widen the tax net, enforce progressive taxes on luxury consumption, and reduce wasteful spending instead of burdening citizens with new fuel taxes.
According to the statement, the Obidient Movement will only support such measures if transparent accountability mechanisms and anti-corruption safeguards are put in place. “We want good roads, reliable infrastructure, and a strong economy. But these goals must not be pursued on the backs of already impoverished Nigerians,” Tanko added.
Fuel has long been a politically sensitive issue in Nigeria. President Tinubu’s removal of petrol subsidies in May 2023 caused sharp increases in pump prices, transport fares, food costs, and inflation. Critics argue that adding another fuel tax would worsen the cost-of-living crisis, though the government insists reforms are necessary to boost revenue and curb borrowing.
The proposed surcharge comes amid widespread frustration over inflation, unemployment, and insecurity, even as the Tinubu administration presses ahead with sweeping economic reforms.