The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has strongly condemned the proposal by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, to increase the salaries of political office holders, including the President, Vice President, governors, the Senate President, and other top officials.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, the party described the plan as “an all-out affront to the Nigerian people,” insisting that it reflects a government disconnected from the struggles of ordinary citizens battling economic hardship.
While acknowledging RMAFC’s constitutional mandate to review the pay of public officials, ADC said the timing was insensitive, given the skyrocketing cost of food, soaring fuel prices, and an eroded N70,000 minimum wage that millions of Nigerians barely receive.
DAILY POST reported that RMAFC Chairman Mohammed Shehu had recently argued that the current pay structure of political leaders was inadequate, unrealistic, and outdated.
But the ADC countered that politicians already enjoy bogus and opaque allowances, perks, and discretionary funds that far exceed the salaries of ordinary Nigerians.
“For perspective, our national minimum wage stands at N70,000, a figure that has been largely wiped out by inflation. Yet, unlike public office holders, most Nigerians do not receive additional allowances to cushion the cost of living,” the party said.
ADC demanded the immediate suspension of the plan, insisting that the government has no moral right to demand sacrifice from citizens while political elites insulate themselves from economic hardship.
“Rather than enriching politicians who already live in obscene indulgence, the government should focus on raising the minimum wage to a living standard, ensuring timely payment of civil servants, and strengthening social welfare programs,” the statement added.