TINUBU KICKED AGAINST OBASANJO’S FUEL TAX POLICY IN 2003 — RUFAI OSENI. (PHOTO).

 Tinubu kicked against Obasanjo’s fuel tax policy in 2003 — Rufai Oseni

A prominent Nigerian journalist, Rufai Oseni, has reignited debate over President Bola Tinubu’s past and present stances on fuel taxation.

Rufai Oseni, in a post on Friday, highlighted an apparent contradiction between Tinubu’s opposition to a 2003 fuel tax proposal under President Olusegun Obasanjo and former’s recent introduction of a 5% fuel surcharge in 2025.

Oseni’s remarks, posted on his verified X handle, have fueled criticism from opposition figures and civil society, who accuse Tinubu of imposing the same economic burdens he once opposed.

“The same President Tinubu that said he will challenge the legality of fuel tax under Obasanjo now wants to give us fuel tax in Nigeria!” Oseni wrote.

The same President Tinubu that said he will challenge the legality of fuel tax under Obasanjo now wants to give us fuel tax in Nigeria! pic.twitter.com/KMRT8MTJqT

In 2003, as governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu vocally opposed a proposed fuel tax by the Obasanjo administration, which was part of broader efforts to reduce fuel subsidies and increase petrol prices from ₦26 to ₦40 per litre.

Historical accounts confirm that Tinubu, then a leading figure in the Alliance for Democracy (AD), criticised the federal government’s policy as an undue burden on Nigerians, particularly in Lagos, where he had introduced a state consumption tax.

While no major court case specifically targeting the 2003 fuel tax materialised, Tinubu’s threat of legal action aligned with his broader resistance to Obasanjo’s policies, including a successful Supreme Court challenge over withheld local government funds.

The 2003 fuel price hike, driven primarily by subsidy cuts, sparked nationwide protests led by the Nigeria Labour Congress, with Tinubu’s public opposition reflecting his commitment to defending Lagos’s fiscal autonomy and protecting citizens from federal overreach.

Fast forward to June 26, 2025, when President Tinubu signed four tax reform bills into law, including the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, which introduced a 5% surcharge on refined fossil fuels such as petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel.

Excluding household kerosene, cooking gas, and compressed natural gas (CNG), the surcharge aims to fund clean energy initiatives and transport infrastructure, according to Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms.

With petrol prices at approximately ₦950 per litre, the surcharge could add about ₦45 per litre, further straining Nigerians already grappling with a 382% fuel price increase since Tinubu’s 2023 subsidy removal.

The policy has drawn sharp criticism, with opposition leaders and stakeholders decrying its economic impact.

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, called the surcharge a “cruel burden” on Nigerians struggling with transportation costs, questioning the government’s priorities.

“Why is a government that claims to have exceeded revenue targets burdening its people with new taxes instead of funding education, healthcare, and poverty reduction?” Obi queried.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC), through spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi, also labelled the tax “deeply insensitive,” pointing to a ₦21.22 trillion budget shortfall and rising national debt projected to exceed ₦150 trillion in 2025.

Salihu Danlami of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership echoed these concerns, stating, “While clean energy is a worthy goal, burdening poor Nigerians with the cost of the transition is unjust.