By Atoyebi Nike

The Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has strongly criticised the federal government’s introduction of a 5% tax on refined fossil fuel sales, including petrol and diesel.

In a statement posted on his official X account late Wednesday, Obi said the measure would deepen the hardship facing Nigerians rather than ease it. He argued that the tax should have been delayed until citizens begin to see tangible benefits from President Bola Tinubu’s many promises.

Obi questioned why government revenues, which Tinubu recently described as meeting targets, were not being channelled into education, healthcare, and poverty reduction. Instead, he said, Nigerians now face higher costs, including compressed natural gas (CNG), which has risen from ₦230 to ₦450 per unit despite earlier subsidy pledges.

“Leadership is not about giving a burden but reducing suffering, and about care and compassion,” Obi stressed, calling for policies that relieve rather than compound citizens’ struggles.