SERAP Issues Seven-Day Ultimatum Over Salary Increase For Politicians

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has issued a seven-day ultimatum to President Bola Tinubu, demanding an immediate suspension of the proposed pay rise for political and public office holders across the country.

In a letter dated August 23, 2025, and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP called on the President to instruct the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to halt the planned salary increase for top government officials, including the president, vice-president, governors, deputy governors, and federal lawmakers.

The organisation argued that the proposed pay rise is not only unconstitutional and unlawful but also fails to reflect the nation’s current economic conditions.

It criticised the RMAFC for what it described as an arbitrary move to raise salaries at a time when most Nigerians are facing unprecedented hardship and economic pressure.

SERAP also urged the President to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, to enforce an existing court judgment delivered by Justice Chuka Obiozor, which mandates the downward review of National Assembly members’ salaries in line with prevailing economic realities.

The organisation maintained that the RMAFC does not possess unrestrained authority to increase the salaries of political office holders without due process and public accountability.

According to SERAP, allowing the pay rise to proceed would represent a serious violation of the public interest.

The group stated that it would take appropriate legal action if the President fails to act within the stipulated seven days.

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. “

“RMFAC cannot legitimately or justifiably increase the salaries of the president, vice-president, governors and their deputies, and lawmakers at a time when over 133 million Nigerians are poor and several state governments are failing to pay salaries of workers and pensions.”

“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.”

“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.”

SERAP Issues Seven-Day Ultimatum Over Salary Increase For Politicians is first published on The Whistler Newspaper