The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected the plan by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to increase salaries of political office holders, describing 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 the proposal to review salaries of the President, Vice President, governors, and other top officials was ill-timed given the current economic realities.
While acknowledging RMAFC’s constitutional mandate to review emoluments of public officers, the ADC argued that any pay rise at this time demonstrates how “disconnected” government has become from the plight of ordinary citizens.
The statement noted that political office holders already enjoy numerous allowances and perks that cushion the effects of inflation, unlike ordinary Nigerians whose N70,000 minimum wage has been eroded by rising food and fuel costs.
“How else are political office holders able to support their lifestyle of luxury and opulence if indeed these ‘outdated’ salaries mean anything to them?” the party queried.
The ADC insisted that government has “no moral right” to demand sacrifice from ordinary Nigerians while increasing the salaries of politicians. Instead, it urged authorities to focus on raising the minimum wage to a living standard, ensuring timely payment of civil servants’ salaries, and expanding social welfare programmes to reach vulnerable households.
“It is absurd to even consider salary increases for political office holders while ordinary citizens are grappling with extreme hardship,” the party declared, calling for an immediate suspension of the plan.
