The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised the proposed increase in the salaries of political officeholders.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC national publicity secretary, said the suggestion is “tone-deaf” and “an affront to the Nigerian people”.
The party was reacting to the proposed salary review by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), which would see the president, vice-president, governors, and other top government officials receive substantial pay raise.
Abdullahi said the plan is ill-timed given that Nigerians are currently battling inflation, soaring fuel prices, and a minimum wage that remains largely unpaid in many states.
“We are aware of the commission’s constitutional mandate to periodically review relevant emoluments of political office holders in the country,” the statement reads.
“However, proposing such review at a time when millions of Nigerians are struggling with soaring food inflation, high cost of fuel, inadequate and largely unpaid minimum wage would indicate a total disregard for the people.”
Abdullahi said the ADC is concerned that the justification given by RMAFC — which described the current remuneration package for political officeholders as “inadequate, unrealistic, and outdated” — ignores the reality that politicians enjoy other perks of office that significantly inflate their actual earnings.
“These salaries are already supplemented with sundry bogus and opaque allowances, perks, and other discretionary funds, which together far exceed what ordinary Nigerians earn,” he said.
“How else are the political office holders able to support their lifestyle of luxury and opulence if indeed these ‘outdated’ salaries mean anything to them?”
Abdullahi said the minimum wage of N70,000 is barely enough to sustain a family, adding that many Nigerians do not receive allowances or other benefits to cushion rising costs.
“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,” he said.
“It signals that the government is clearly disconnected from the struggles of ordinary citizens.”
The party asked the government to focus on improving the lives of the masses instead.
“Government has no moral right to demand sacrifice from ordinary citizens while they focus on making lives easier for themselves,” the statement added.
“Political office holders cannot be insulated from economic hardships, while the everyday Nigerian suffers.”
The ADC added that public resources should rather go into raising the minimum wage to a living standard, paying civil servants on time, and supporting vulnerable Nigerians through targeted social welfare programmes.
