Former vice president and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2023 general election, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned plans by the President Bola Tinubu administration to increase Value Added Tax.

In a statement Sunday, Atiku said the plan to raise VAT would be the last straw that would destroy Nigeria’s economy, adding that the current administration has continued to prove that it lacked capacity to improve the wellbeing of the people.

The statement said that increase in VAT is set to become the blazing inferno that will consume the very essence of our people.

He said that President Bola Tinubu, alongside his coterie of advisers, has resolved to raise the VAT rate from 7.5% to 10%, even as the NNPCL has announced a soaring PMS price increase at the pump.

This move, he said, unveils a new era of regressive and punitive policies, and its impact is destined to deepen the domestic cost-of-living crisis and exacerbate Nigeria’s already fragile economic growth.

He said- “President Tinubu and his entourage seem to be resorting to their familiar tactic: heaping burdens upon the impoverished while steadfastly ignoring their extravagant excesses! Tinubu’s actions reflect a profound insensitivity to the plight of the less fortunate as he indulges in the opulent renovation of villas and the acquisition of new jets and vehicles for himself and his family.

“One need not be an economist to grasp the ominous implications of President Tinubu’s ill-conceived policies for Nigeria’s future. The relentless rise in taxes and interest rates has proven excessively onerous, debilitating businesses of all sizes and leading to job losses while intensifying the suffering of the poor. The manufacturing sector, in particular, has endured relentless strife since Tinubu’s ascendancy, with its contribution to the GDP diminishing by over 20% since December 2023, as reported by the NBS.

“In early August, Tinubu turned his attention to agriculture. As is customary with this administration, a new policy was clandestinely formulated and announced, permitting duty-free importation of agricultural commodities such as wheat, maize, and paddy, despite vehement opposition from farmer groups nationwide. This policy poses a grave threat to Nigeria’s food security ambitions, as local farmers, facing unfair competition from low-cost producers in Asia, Europe, and America, are compelled to reduce or entirely abandon their production efforts. It jeopardizes job creation, wealth generation, and the sector’s long-term prosperity, casting a shadow over Nigeria’s sustainability and development.

“President Tinubu and his advisers would be wise to redirect their efforts towards crafting sustainable solutions to the systemic shocks afflicting the economy rather than compounding the crisis with measures destined to ignite further turmoil.”