The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected the proposed plan to increase the salaries of political office holders in Nigeria, insisting that ordinary citizens, not politicians, deserve a pay rise.
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) had reportedly suggested a review of salaries for the President, Vice President, governors, and other top officials.
But the ADC described the move as tone-deaf and an affront to struggling Nigerians.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said such a proposal shows how disconnected the government is from the realities citizens face daily.
“We are aware of the Commission’s constitutional mandate to review salaries of political office holders, but proposing such at a time when millions of Nigerians are struggling with high food prices, rising fuel costs, and inadequate minimum wage only shows a total disregard for the people,” Abdullahi said.
He noted that politicians already enjoy bogus allowances and perks which far exceed what ordinary Nigerians can ever earn.
“How else are political office holders able to sustain their luxury lifestyles if not for these allowances? It is misleading to claim that their salaries are outdated,” he added.
The party stressed that instead of focusing on politicians’ pay, government should prioritize improving workers’ wages and welfare.
“For perspective, our national minimum wage stands at N70,000 per month, a figure that has been largely eroded by the APC’s inflation, even where it has been paid. Yet, unlike public office holders, most Nigerians do not receive additional allowances or emoluments to cushion the effects of the rising costs of living. This is why this proposed plan to increase the salaries of public office holders is not only tone-deaf, it is an all-out affront to the Nigerian people. It signals that the government is clearly disconnected from the struggles of ordinary citizens.”
The ADC has called for the immediate suspension of the plan to raise salaries for political office holders, describing it as unfair and insensitive. The party said such an increase should not even be considered while ordinary Nigerians are struggling with severe financial hardship.
According to the ADC, government should be more concerned with improving the living conditions of citizens rather than raising the pay of the President, governors, and other politicians who already enjoy a life of luxury.
The party also argued that leaders have no moral right to demand sacrifice from the people while they continue to make things easier for themselves.
It stressed that politicians cannot be shielded from the country’s economic challenges while everyday Nigerians suffer.
“As a party, we strongly believe that rather than further enriching political elites, all government policies at this time should prioritize raising the minimum wage to a living standard, ensuring timely and fair salaries for our civil servants, and strengthening our social welfare programs to reach the most vulnerable Nigerians,” the statement added.
