Let Office Holders' Pay Reflect Economic Realities, SERAP Tells President

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to review the salaries and allowances of political and public office holders to reflect Nigeria’s economic realities.

SERAP, which made the call in an open letter dated August 23, 2025, signed by its deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, demands that the proposed pay raises be immediately suspended because it is insensitive and wasteful.

While calling on President Tinubu to reject the proposal, the organisation also asked him to encourage his vice-president, governors, their deputies, and lawmakers to do the same.

SERAP also urged the President to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to ensure full compliance with Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor’s ruling, which mandates the RMAFC to lower the salaries and allowances of National Assembly members to reflect the country’s economic realities.

It further maintained that the RMAFC’s constitutional and statutory powers do not grant it unfettered authority to increase the salaries of the president, vice-president, governors, their deputies, and lawmakers.

The organisation stated that suspending the impending pay rise for political office holders would serve the public interest. “When the exercise of RMAFC’s powers conflicts with the fundamental rights of Nigerians, the public interest in upholding these rights should take precedence.”

SERAP insisted that instead of reducing the salaries of political and public office holders to align with the current economic challenges, the RMAFC is unjustly increasing the salaries of the president, vice-president, governors, their deputies, and lawmakers.

The organisation further stressed that the impending pay rise for political and public office holders, especially for the president, vice-president, governors, their deputies, and lawmakers, represents a gross misuse of the RMAFC’s constitutional and statutory powers.

SERAP further RMAFC does not possess boundless constitutional and statutory authority or unrestrained discretion to increase the salaries of the president, vice-president, governors and their deputies, and lawmakers.”

It stated that, based on the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, the country’s international human rights obligations, and the legal doctrine of reasonableness, the RMAFC has improperly exercised its constitutional and statutory mandates by raising the salaries of political office holders.

The civil society organisation also argued that RMAFC cannot legitimately increase the salaries of the president, vice-president, governors, their deputies, and lawmakers at a time when over 133 million Nigerians live in poverty and several state governments are struggling to pay their workers and pensioners.

SERAP stated, “We would appreciate these recommended measures being implemented within seven days of receiving or publishing this letter. If we do not hear from you by then, SERAP will take appropriate legal action to compel your government and the RMAFC to comply with our request in the public interest.

“The RMAFC appears to consistently favour political office holders at the expense of poor Nigerians. In exercising its constitutional and statutory responsibilities, the RMAFC should balance the interests of marginalised and vulnerable populations against those of political office holders.

“The RMAFC should prioritise cutting the excessive amounts budgeted each year for allowances for political office holders and life pensions for former presidents, vice-presidents, governors and their deputies, and lawmakers.

“The principle of representative democracy, fairness, equality, and non-discrimination loses significance if the salaries of political office holders are increased arbitrarily while millions of poor Nigerians face difficult circumstances and see their living standards decline.

“The dire situation for many Nigerians is exacerbated by deteriorating public services, where access to clean water and affordable healthcare remains elusive, and electricity supply is sporadic and unreliable, especially in an era where globalisation has made such services widely available and inexpensive.

“The upcoming pay rise for political office holders violates the provisions of Chapter 2 of the Nigerian Constitution (1999, as amended) concerning Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, as well as the country’s international human rights obligations.

“The combined provisions of Chapter 2 and Chapter 4, particularly Section 42, define and uphold the socio-economic rights of Nigerians and their right to equality and non-discrimination.