The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly opposed the proposed salary increase for political office holders in Nigeria. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi, made this clear in a statement issued in Abuja, stressing that the plan should be suspended immediately.
Abdullahi argued that approving such an increment would be insensitive at a time when millions of Nigerians are struggling with inflation, rising fuel prices, and inadequate wages. He noted that the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), which has the constitutional responsibility to periodically review emoluments for public officials, had recently put forward a proposal to review the salaries of the President, Vice President, governors, and other top officials.
According to him, pursuing this review in the current economic climate shows a disregard for the realities ordinary citizens face. He further explained that political office holders already benefit from several allowances and discretionary funds, which place them far above the average Nigerian who survives on a minimum wage of N70,000 monthly without such benefits.
Abdullahi insisted that while ordinary Nigerians are bearing the brunt of soaring food inflation and the high cost of living, government officials should not be shielded from economic realities. He stressed that the ADC expects government policies to focus instead on raising the minimum wage to a level that reflects living costs, ensuring fair and timely salaries for civil servants, and expanding social welfare programmes to support the most vulnerable groups.
He maintained that the government has no moral justification to call for sacrifices from citizens while prioritising the comfort of political elites. According to him, increasing the pay of public office holders, who already live in relative affluence, would further alienate them from the economic struggles facing everyday Nigerians.