ABUJA — The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly rejected the proposed plan to increase the salaries of political office holders, insisting that ordinary Nigerians — not politicians — deserve a pay rise.
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) reportedly recommended a review of salaries for the President, Vice President, governors, lawmakers, and other top officials. But in a statement on Wednesday, the ADC described the move as “tone-deaf” and an “affront” to millions of struggling citizens.
Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, said the proposal reflects how disconnected the government is from the harsh realities Nigerians 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 are battling high food prices, skyrocketing fuel costs, and an eroded minimum wage only shows a total disregard for the people,” Abdullahi stated.
He argued that political leaders already enjoy “bogus allowances and perks” far beyond what ordinary citizens can ever dream of.
“How else are political office holders able to sustain their luxury lifestyles if not for these allowances? Claiming their salaries are outdated is both misleading and unfair,” he added.
The ADC maintained that the government should prioritize increasing workers’ wages and improving citizens’ welfare, not padding politicians’ paychecks.
“For perspective, our national minimum wage stands at N70,000 per month, a figure that inflation under the APC government has almost wiped out — even where it is being paid. Unlike politicians, ordinary Nigerians do not enjoy allowances to cushion the rising costs of living. This proposal is not just tone-deaf, it is an outright insult to the Nigerian people,” the statement read.
The party demanded the immediate suspension of the plan, stressing that leaders have no moral right to demand sacrifice from citizens while shielding themselves from the nation’s economic hardship.
“As a party, we firmly believe that government policies at this time should focus on raising the minimum wage to a truly living standard, ensuring timely and fair salaries for civil servants, and strengthening social welfare programs to support the most vulnerable Nigerians,” Abdullahi said.
The ADC warned that further enriching political elites at the expense of struggling citizens will only deepen public distrust and widen the gap between leaders and the people they claim to serve.
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