SERAP Sues RMAFC Over Proposed Salary Hike for Tinubu, Governors, Lawmakers
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) over its proposal to increase the salaries of key political and public officeholders in Nigeria, including the President, Vice President, state governors, their deputies, and members of the National Assembly.
Last month, RMAFC announced plans to review upward the salaries of these officials, describing their current earnings as “paltry.” However, the move has drawn widespread criticism amid Nigeria’s worsening economic conditions and high poverty levels.
In a statement on Sunday, SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, confirmed that the organisation has taken legal action against the commission. The suit, filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1834/2025), has yet to be assigned a hearing date.
SERAP is asking the court to determine whether RMAFC’s proposed salary increment is lawful, constitutional, and consistent with Nigeria’s socio-economic realities. The group argues that the commission’s action violates the Nigerian Constitution and the RMAFC Act.
The lawsuit seeks: A declaration that the proposed salary hike for the President, Vice President, governors, deputies, and lawmakers is unlawful, unconstitutional, and inconsistent with the principles of the rule of law. An injunction restraining RMAFC and its agents from implementing or proceeding with the salary increase. An order directing RMAFC to instead review downward the salaries and allowances of these officials to reflect Nigeria’s economic conditions. SERAP maintains that increasing the salaries of political officeholders at a time when over 133 million Nigerians are living in poverty, and many state governments struggle to pay workers and pensioners, would be unjustifiable and insensitive.
“The proposed salary hike is a misuse of RMAFC’s constitutional mandate and undermines public trust,” SERAP said in the statement. “Rather than prioritising the interests of politicians, the Commission should focus on fiscal efficiency and promoting equity.”
The suit, filed by Kolawole Oluwadare, Oluwakemi Oni, and Andrew Nwankwo on behalf of SERAP, argues that:
“RMAFC’s constitutional and statutory powers do not grant it unfettered discretion to increase the remuneration of public officials without due regard for economic realities and public interest.”
SERAP also cited Chapter 2 of the Nigerian Constitution, which outlines the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, and Chapter 4, which enshrines fundamental human rights, particularly Section 42 on equality and non-discrimination. The organisation argues that arbitrary increases in salaries for political officeholders violate these principles.
“The RMAFC ought to discharge its constitutional duties responsibly by advising on fiscal efficiency and reviewing existing revenue allocations—not by enriching officeholders at the expense of the masses,” the statement said.
SERAP further noted that RMAFC had failed to comply with a 2021 Federal High Court judgment by Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor, which ordered the Commission to review and reduce the salaries and allowances of National Assembly members in line with prevailing economic realities. That judgment followed consolidated suits brought by SERAP, BudgIT, Enough is Enough Nigeria (EiE), and others.
Meanwhile, RMAFC Chairman Mohammed Bello, in an August 18 statement, defended the proposed review, describing it as “fair, realistic, and sustainable,” and said it aligns with Nigeria’s socio-economic context. He claimed the current salary structure, last comprehensively reviewed in 1992, was outdated.
However, SERAP insists that the Commission appears more focused on benefiting political elites rather than protecting vulnerable Nigerians, who continue to suffer from declining public services, inadequate healthcare, poor infrastructure, and erratic power supply.
“The idea of representative democracy means little if political officeholders are rewarded with higher pay while millions of citizens endure worsening living conditions,” the group said.
The suit underscores a growing concern among civil society groups that governance structures in Nigeria continue to prioritise the welfare of politicians over that of ordinary citizens.