Stop Politicians’ Pay Rise, Tinubu Told

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately suspend a proposed salary increase for political office holders, including the president, vice-president, governors, their deputies, and lawmakers.

The organisation, in a letter dated August 23, 2025, signed by SERAP Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, labelled the proposal as “patently unlawful and unconstitutional.”

It urged Tinubu to direct the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission to halt the pay rise, which it argues violates Nigeria’s Constitution and international human rights obligations.

SERAP also called on the President and Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, to comply with a 2021 Federal High Court ruling by Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor, which mandated the RMAFC to review and reduce lawmakers’ salaries to reflect Nigeria’s economic realities.

The letter read in part: “The imminent pay rise for political and public office holders in Nigeria particularly the president, vice-president, governors and their deputies, and lawmakers is a gross misuse of the RMAFC’s constitutional and statutory mandates.”

“The RMFAC has neither unrestrained constitutional and statutory mandates nor unbridled discretion to increase the salaries of the president, vice-president, governors and their deputies, and lawmakers.”

“On the basis of the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, the country’s international human rights obligations and the legal doctrine of reasonableness, the RMAFC has improperly and incorrectly exercised its constitutional and statutory mandates by increasing the salaries of political office holders.”

SERAP criticised the RMAFC for prioritising salary increases for politicians at a time when over 133 million Nigerians live in poverty and many state governments struggle to pay workers’ salaries and pensions.

The organisation described the move as a “gross misuse” of the RMAFC’s mandate, emphasising that the commission lacks the authority to arbitrarily raise salaries without considering public interest or economic challenges.

SERAP urged Tinubu to reject the pay rise and encourage other political leaders to do the same, warning that failure to act within seven days could lead to legal action to enforce compliance.

“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel your government and RMFAC to comply with our request in the public interest.

“RMFAC seems to act consistently to give advantage to political office holders over the interests of poor Nigerians. The RMFAC, in the exercise of its constitutional and statutory mandates ought to balance the interests of the marginalised and vulnerable sectors of the population against the ‘interests’ of political office holders.

“The RMFAC ought to prioritise cutting the excessive amounts yearly budgeted as allowances for political office holders and life pensions for former presidents, vice-presidents, governors and their deputies, and lawmakers.”

SERAP noted that “The idea of representative democracy, fairness and equality and non-discrimination would mean little if the salaries of political office holders are arbitrarily increased while millions of poor Nigerians continue to pass through harrowing times and watch their standards of living plummet.

“The grim condition of many Nigerians is worsened by the deterioration of public services where access to pipe-borne water and affordable health-care remains a dream and the supply of electricity is epileptic and unreliable in an era in which globalisation has made such services ubiquitous and cheap.

“The imminent pay rise for political office holders is a gross violation of the provisions of chapter 2 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] relating to Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, and the country’s international human rights obligations.

“The combined provisions of chapter 2, and chapter 4 on fundamental rights particularly section 42 give meaning and substance to the socio-economic rights of Nigerians and their right to equality and non-discrimination,” SERAP stated.

It added that, “Directing the RMFAC to suspend the imminent pay rise for political office holders will be entirely consistent with your constitutional oath of office and your oft-expressed commitment including to work to ensure ‘a better society’ and ‘the collective sacrifices of us all’, as stated in your inauguration speech.

“SERAP also notes your commitment in your inauguration speech to ensure that, ‘Nigeria will be impartially governed according to the constitution and the rule of law.’

“The RMFAC should properly discharge its constitutional and statutory mandates to ‘monitor the accruals to and disbursement of revenue from the Federation Account and ‘advise the Federal and State Governments on fiscal efficiency and methods by which their revenue can be increased.”

However, SERAP said it supports “the upward review of the remuneration, salaries and allowances and conditions of service for Nigerian judges to address the persistent poor treatment of judges, and to improve access of victims of corruption and human rights violations to justice and effective remedies.”

The letter further notes that “The RMAFC Chairman Mohammed Bello on 18 August 2025 reportedly stated the commission’s decision to propose a pay rise for the president, vice-president, governors and their deputies, and lawmakers in Nigeria on the seriously flawed ground that the salaries for these office-holders are ‘paltry.’”

“The commission claimed that the ‘review package’ ‘remain fair, realistic, and sustainable,’ and ‘align with the country`s current socio-economic realities.’”

“According to him, the allocation formula was last overhauled in 1992, saying that there had been several executive adjustments since 2002, but a full-scale overhaul had not been undertaken until now.”

“SERAP notes that Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor of the Federal High Court Lagos ordered the RMAFC to review downward and fix the salaries, remuneration or allowances of members of the National Assembly to reflect the economic realities in the country.”

“The judgment dated 4 June 2021 followed the consolidated suits brought by Mr Monday Ubani, Mr John Nwokwu, more than 1,500 concerned Nigerians, SERAP, BudgIT and Enough is Enough Nigeria (EiE).”

“Under sections 154(1) and 156(3) and paragraph 31, Part I of the Third Schedule to the Nigerian Constitution, Members of the Commission are appointed by the President subject to the confirmation of the Senate.”

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