SERAP Describes Tinubu’s Plans to Increase Politicians’ Salaries as Unlawful

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has described the ongoing plans of Nigeria’s Federal Government to do an upward review of political office holders’ salaries as unlawful.

SERAP, in 23 August 2025 letter signed by its deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare,  said President Bola Tinubu must “direct the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to immediately suspend the patently unlawful and unconstitutional pay rise for political and public office holders in Nigeria.”

The letter listed the salaries of political office holders that must, at any point, not be increased among whom, “the president, vice-president, governors, their deputies, and the country’s lawmakers.”

SERAP urged President Tinubu to “reject the imminent pay rise for politicians and encourage your vice-president, governors and their deputies, and lawmakers to do the same.”

The Rights group also said the President must “direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN to ensure full and effective compliance with the judgment of Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor directing the RMAFC to review downward the salaries and allowances of the members of the National Assembly to reflect the economic realities in the country.”

The letter quotes in part: “The RMAFC’s constitutional and statutory mandates clearly do not imply the unrestrained powers to increase the salaries of the president, vice-president, governors, their deputies, and lawmakers.

“Suspending the imminent pay rise for political office holders would serve legitimate public interests. When the exercise of RMAFC’s constitutional and statutory mandates clashes with Nigerians’ fundamental rights, the public interests in upholding these rights ought to prevail.

“Rather than reviewing downward the salaries of political and public office holders to reflect the current economic challenges in the country, the commission is arbitrarily increasing the salaries for the president, vice-president, governors and their deputies, and lawmakers.

“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.

“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.”

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