Atiku To Tinubu: Cut Petrol, Diesel Taxes To Ease Hardship

The 2027 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has called on the Federal Government to cut taxes on diesel and petrol, as the German government recently did.
He said the measure would bring relief to many Nigerian households suffering under the current economic challenges in the country.
The ADC presidential hopeful made the call in a statement issued on Friday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council.
He accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of failing to protect Nigerians amid the rising food crisis, saying the administration had abandoned the people to fend for themselves in the face of biting economic challenges.
According to him, the President also failed to adequately address the problems facing the country during his October 1, 2026 Independence Day broadcast to Nigerians, saying Tinubu worsened the situation by justifying the removal of fuel subsidy, which he said had brought untold hardship to the country.
Abubakar also described as false the claim by President Tinubu that government workers are being paid regularly, saying civil servants are lamenting unpaid salaries, while pensioners have also been groaning over unpaid entitlements by the government.
He said the Federal Government should have announced a cut in taxes on petrol and diesel for at least three months, as the German government did, to help Nigerian business owners and consumers cushion the effects of the economic challenges.
The German government recently announced a 14 per cent cut in petrol and diesel taxes, effective October 1 to December 31, 2026, to cushion the effects of rising prices in the country.
The ADC presidential candidate said the Federal Government should take a cue from Germany, noting that high petrol prices had triggered higher transportation costs, which had impacted the prices of goods, especially food and other essential commodities.
“Germany understands that when fuel prices put families under pressure, government must act, and Nigerians deserve the same compassion and urgency,” he said.
If elected next year, the presidential hopeful said his administration would restore fuel subsidy in a way that would directly benefit Nigerians.
“We plan to restore targeted, budgeted support for fuel refined in Nigeria, with strict auditing and a guarantee that the benefit lowers pump prices.
“Support will follow the barrel refined here, creating jobs locally, easing costs for Nigerians, and eliminating subsidies on imported fuel,” Abubakar said.