Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticized the five percent petrol tax recently imposed by the Bola Tinubu administration, describing it as an additional burden on Nigerians who are still grappling with the removal of fuel subsidies.

In a post on X, Obi expressed regret that instead of alleviating hardship, the government is compounding it.

He suggested that the administration should have postponed the tax until citizens begin to see tangible improvements from the promises made by the president.

“Nigerians will pay a 5% tax when buying their everyday fuel or diesel at a time when millions can hardly even afford the cost of transportation. Mr. President just boasted that Nigeria has met its revenue target for the year. Yet instead of easing hardship, the government imposes more burden on Nigerians,” he stated.

Obi further noted that alternatives like CNG have become unaffordable, rising from about N230 to N450, while the promised subsidies on CNG have quietly disappeared.

He questioned the use of the nation’s revenue, asking: “If the nation’s revenues are truly ‘excessive’ as claimed, should they not first be used to fund education, healthcare, and pull Nigerians out of poverty? Why tax citizens who cannot even breathe anymore?”

Obi concluded by reminding President Tinubu that true leadership is not about imposing burdens but reducing people’s suffering, emphasizing that governance should prioritize care and compassion.