President Bola Tinubu is practising politics the wrong way. And, you may ask, why and how? It’s nearing the end of yet another tough year under Bola Tinubu presidency. 2025 will go down in history as the year that Nigerians were stretched to their limits, with high prices of essential commodities, deep economic uncertainty, unprecedented hardship and poverty. In many states, children have been forcefully separated from their parents due to insecurity. As you reflect on the pains and agony that this government has inflicted on you and your household as a result of ill-advised, ill-digested policies, beware: 2026 may be tougher than 2025.
Aside that 2026 will signal the beginning of yet another political campaigns ahead of 2027 general election, be ready for another excruciating policy – few months from now. A responsible, compassionate and listening government, should avoid worsening economic hardship on the people. But that is none of the virtues of the present administration. It has already perfected plans to impose a 5% tax on petrol and diesel that will kick off tentatively, January, 2026. By this policy, Nigerians will pay 5% surcharge on every litre of fuel and diesel produced locally or imported. The government says it’s a component of the harmonised Tax Law, which the president signed in June this year.
Across the country, small business owners decry the high cost of doing business. With fuel already expensive, but central to virtually every aspect of economic life in Nigeria, from transportation to powering businesses, the additional levy will push costs even higher for motorists, transporters, commuters and other businesses that depend on petrol and diesel. All of this will have a multiplier effect on cost of living and misery index. For the government, the bottom line is to generate more revenue and spend as it wishes. For that purpose, it has projected to raise N796 billion from the surcharge at the expense of the suffering masses who are already at their wit’s end due to soaring prices, inflation and food insecurity. Not only is this attempt untimely, it’s insensitive, unfair and wicked. This is the simple arithmetic in the 5% fuel tax. For instance, in Lagos, a commercial motorcyclist (okada) who spends N25,000 a week, will, when the tax takes effect, need N26,000 to cover the same distance. The extra N1,000, small as it seems on paper, piles up week after week, leaving less for food for your household, rent and school fees for your children. As you are aware, many private schools have already increased their fees and other sundry charges. This is bound to stretch your budget beyond its limits.
Ordinarily, nothing is wrong with taxes. Government all over the world introduce taxes to fund essential public services like infrastructure, education, healthcare, roads and railways. These are crucial for a functioning society. But in Nigeria, the goal isn’t to fund essential services and improve the welfare of the people. It’s to fund the expensive lifestyle of political office holders. Statistics show that between 2007 and 2011, the federal government is yet to remit funds totaling N1trn owed to the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency(FERMA). Section 14 of FERMA Act 2007, provides a 5% user charge on fuel sales. In other words, it’s the government that is owing the people, not the other way round. The question is: Is it proper to rob Peter to pay Paul?
But that’s the case in Nigeria. It has become commonplace under the this government. Here, the poor are taxed and the revenue realised is used to subsidise the rich. The people often groan because tax burdens reduce disposable income and create economic hardship, leading to discontent. It calls for more efficient and equitable spending and less tax evasion. The agony of the looming fuel tax is that it’s coming amid unconscionable profligacy and corruption in high places. There would have been less complaints about the proposed surcharge if President Tinubu had paid serious attention to corruption and waste in governance. The burden on the ordinary, low-income Nigerians is choking.
Transparency and accountability are core principles of governance. We have heard our president tell a foreign audience few weeks ago that his administration has tamed corruption in the country. He knows it’s a lie. You can’t deceive savvy investors. It also raises questions on how billions of dollars from oil revenue and subsidy removal and other borrowed funds have been spent. My favourite definition of leadership is the ability to reconcile opportunity and competency. Leadership can be learned – even by those who don’t think they have the ability to lead. The key is practice. It’s unfortunate that as president, Tinubu has failed to seize the opportunity to make and learn from previous policy decisions that didn’t work, and make amends whenever, and wherever they arise.
That’s why he’s ignoring wise counsels to shelve the 5% tax on fuel and diesel, at least until the economy recovers and the purchasing power of the people improves substantially. Having failed to realise,time and again, that democracy works when people are happy, and that government exists to meet some of their aspirations, the following questions become vital : what really makes some political leaders great and others to fail? Is there a spirit that drives some leaders to want to punish their own citizens? The answer to the first question is, in governance, a great leader seeks power with the aim to achieve great purposes, not selfish agenda. In that case, the people must come first, self-interest last. The answer to the second question is, some political leaders fail when they are driven by the spirit of the reforms that seem wise in their own eyes.
That’s the kind of spirit that bewitched Rehoboam, the son of King Solomon. His story is something our political leaders, especially President Tinubu, should learn from. It’s apt in the present plan to impose 5 % fuel tax. This is how the downfall of Rehoboam began. Recall that after Solomon’s death, the people of Israel requested that Rehoboam lighten the heavy taxes and labour his father placed on them(1 Kings chapter 12:1-14, 2 Chronicles 10:1-8). Instead, Rehoboam rejected the advice of the wise elders and pandered to the counsel of his young, arrogant advisers and authoritarian friends.
This is Rehoboam’s reply to the plea of the people: “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions”. This caused rebellion led by Jeroboam. It resulted in the split of Israel into Northern Israel and southern kingdom of Judah. The division weakened Rehoboam’s rule, and he and Jeroboam remained in conflict throughout his reign and subsequent invasion by the Egyptian king, Shishak who plundered the temple. Any lessons learned?
My questions are: who are those misadvising Tinubu to often take draconian policies against poor, suffering Nigerians? Is this the same Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who was at the beginning of his political career known to be a stout defender of the poor, always compassionate, ensuring that better things happen to people, especially the downtrodden at no cost to them? Why is he now hardening his heart, and adding to the burdens of the weak and poor? Like a typical market economy which Tinubu is pursuing without looking at the pains and groanings of the poor, the average Nigerian has become like wolves – fighting for their daily meals. Wolves survive by fierce competition. In their bloody fights, the winner commands the highest respect.
That’s the country we live in today – the weak vs the strong, the rich against the poor, widening the fault lines that divide us. In addition to increasing the pump price of fuel, which currently costs an average of N900/litre, representing about 382% from N197/litre when Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023, fuel will cost even more when the 5% surcharge is enforced. In business management, the dictum is: “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get”. What real value has Nigerians got from the windfall from subsidy removal? Government says it has increased the states’ allocations by 40%. Who are the recipients? Recently, Tinubu asked the people to hold their Governors to account. How possible? As I said from the outset, this is the wrong way to practice politics.
