Amidst the glaring economic crisis and poverty in Nigeria, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) last week announced its plans to embark on a comprehensive upward review of the remuneration packages for political office holders across the country.
This has generated widespread condemnations from well meaning Nigerians, with some calling for the immediate suspension of the review.
In a ‘Strategic Retreat’ organised for the review in Kano, the Chairman of the Remuneration and Monetisation Committee, RMAFC, Hon. Mohammed Kabeer Usman, who also serves as the Federal Commissioner representing Gombe State, underscored the importance of the review to the stability and growth of Nigeria’s governance structure.
Hon. Usman informed that the review was in accordance with the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empowers the Commission to determine appropriate remuneration for political, public, and judicial office holders at all levels.
He also explained that the review which was last carried out over 17 years ago (2007), was necessary to reflect prevailing economic realities in the country.
However, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, called for the suspension of the review, describing the move as insensitive, unjust, inequitable, capable of deepening the growing inequality between civil servants and political office holders.
According to Ajaero, the review would equally deepen poverty among the generality of Nigerians, majority of whom have not only been adjudged to be multi-dimensionally poor, but live miserably poor.
Nigerians are experiencing hardship due to economic crises, which include record high inflation, soaring food prices, and high unemployment, leading to widespread poverty. This situation has been exacerbated by ongoing insecurity from banditry, terrorism, and separatism affecting food production in the country.
Consequently, the NLC President has demanded that the “Current earnings of all political office holders should be made public; The benchmark for the proposed review should equally be made public; RMAFC should put on hold this exercise before it triggers a tsunami.”
He submitted that the Union finds it appropriate to warn that making public-office a sanctuary for wealth-making (for literally doing nothing) instead of service and sacrifice will raise the stakes/desperation for the quest for public office with its intended and unintended consequences including self-extinction.
According to him, the exercise is coming at a time of promotion and salary freeze in most public subsectors and the continued imposition/operation of N70,000 minimum wage because there are no resources to pay higher in spite of insane tariff hikes.
Ajaero recalled that the last time a wage review (not minimum wage) was done for civil servants, it was not more than 50 percent. However, when that of political office holders was done a year or so later, it was in excess of 800 per cent.
“Whereas with civil servants, wage reviews or promotions are dependent on resource availability, with political office holders, this rule does not operate.
“We equally note with dismay that whereas states operate different pay structures for civil servants, the pay structures of political office holders are the same across the country. This explains why a Councillor in Yobe State earns the same salary as a Councillor in Rivers State.
“While we recognise the need for good remuneration packages, they should be across board and equitable and not done on the basis of discrimination as that runs contrary to the letter and spirit of our constitution. One of the most heinous crimes against humanity is the institution and promotion of apartheid in any human setting, no matter how subtle,” he said.
Corroborating NLC, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), called on President Bola Tinubu to stop the proposed salary hike for political office holders, describing it as unconstitutional.
SERAP, in a letter dated August 23, 2025 and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, urged the President, Vice President, Governors and Lawmakers to reject the proposal, noting that increasing the politicians’ salaries amid widespread poverty and economic hardship would be unjustifiable.
The group also advised the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to enforce a subsisting judgment of Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor of the Federal High Court, Lagos, which directed RMAFC to reduce the salaries and allowances of National Assembly members to reflect current economic realities.
“The RMAFC’s constitutional and statutory mandates clearly do not imply unrestrained powers to increase the salaries of the president, vice-president, governors, their deputies, and lawmakers. Rather than cut the excessive allowances of political office holders and life pensions for former leaders, RMAFC is acting consistently to give advantage to politicians over the interests of poor Nigerians,” SERAP said.
The organisation argued that the move violated Chapter 2 of the 1999 Constitution on Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, and breached Nigeria’s international human rights obligations.
It added that suspending the planned review would serve the public interest, especially as over 133 million Nigerians live in poverty while many states struggle to pay workers’ wages and pensions.
Commenting on the issue, the former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi said such thinking in the face of faster-eroding living standards of the people not only portrays the insensitivity of leaders but also exposes their greed.
According to him, the RMAFC’s reckless haste in prioritising the greed of Politicians over the desperate needs of the masses is not only provocative but scandalous. Noting that it’s a shameless grab for more at the expense of Nigeria’s struggling majority!
“The proposed over 100% salary increase for political office holders is totally unjustifiable considering the economic realities facing our country. We believe that political office is a service to the nation, and not a means to accumulate wealth.
“It is very disturbing that the RMAFC is prioritising the welfare of political office holders over that of security personnel, particularly police officers who are grossly underpaid and overworked.
“We urge the government to redirect its focus towards improving the living conditions of public workers, who are the backbone of our country. We call on the RMAFC to prioritise the welfare of Nigerians, particularly those in the public service, who have been neglected for far too long,” he said.
On his part, an Analyst, and Chief Executive Officer of Sage Consulting & Communications, Bode Fadipe, said it’s completely insensitive and an insult to the Nigerian public for the salaries of politicians to be increased, especially the one for the President.
“For God’s sake, what is the President paying for or buying in this country that RMAFC is proposing to increase his salary? Is it a car? Housing? Is it his Trips? Medical bills or what? How many of our professors are collecting upto N600,000 in this country? This is insensitive!” he said.
In the midst of the mounting agitations for and against the move, it should be noted that poverty in the country has worsened significantly.
The World Bank reported that, as of April 2025, the poverty rate among rural Nigerians has risen to over 75%, indicating widespread economic hardship across the country.
The report also highlighted that 41.3% of Nigeria’s urban population now lives below the poverty line. In comparison, it reported that in 2018/2019, about 30.9% of Nigerians lived below the international extreme poverty line.
