Tinubu Is Running A Govt Of Trial And Error – Says ADC

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has taken credit for the suspension of  the 15 per cent import duty on petrol and diesel by the Federal Government.

In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party claimed that the suspension demonstrates that the government listened to its warning that the levy would exacerbate the country’s economic woes.

It described the incumbent administration as “confused,” accusing it of running a government of “trial and error”

Abdullahi recalled how the opposition warned the incumbent administration that imposing a fresh tariff on imported fuel would deepen the hardship caused by subsidy removal, currency depreciation and surging living costs.

While commending the administration for backing down, the party said the reversal again exposed a pattern of hasty decisions followed by embarrassing U-turns.

He said, “As we noted in our statement reacting to the planned tariff, the ‘new levy is likely to push the pump price of petrol beyond ₦1,000 per litre.

“If this happens, life would become even more unbearable for families, commuters, transporters, farmers, and small businesses already struggling under the weight of fuel subsidy removal without social protection and currency devaluation without safeguards.”

The party said it had also queried why the government would contemplate taxing imported fuel “without first ensuring local capacity for production,” adding that it was “quite interesting” that these were the same reasons the administration later cited for backing down

“What has become clear, however, is that President Tinubu is running a government of trial and error that is merely experimenting and bumbling through,” the statement noted.

Abdullahi further accused federal agencies of “singing discordant tunes,” noting that while one claimed the policy was only postponed, another declared it “no longer in view,” which “shows a government that is confused, unsure, and dangerously working at cross purposes.”

The ADC urged the administration to “realise that public office is a responsibility, not a laboratory,” and vowed to continue speaking against policies that threaten citizens’ welfare.