Absorbed the court to stop the RMAFC salary increase proposed for politicians

The Socio-Economic and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the allocation of revenue mobilization and the Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) for “the raised salary increase for the holders of the Political and Public Office in Nigeria, especially the President, Vice President, Governor, Deputy, and their lawmakers.”

RMAFC had been revealed last month the commission proposal to increase salaries for the president, vice president, governor and their representatives, and parliament members in Nigeria, claiming that salaries for this office holder were ‘trivial.’

In the FHC/ABJ/CS/1834/2025 lawsuit number submitted last week at the Federal High Court, Abuja, absorbed the court to determine “whether the RMAFC salary increase was proposed to the President, Vice President, Governor and their representatives.

Berrap looking for “orders to retain RMAFC, his agents and Privi from taking any steps to review the salaries of the president, vice president, governor and their representatives, and parliament members in Nigeria.”

Absorbing also looking for “orders that direct RMAFC, their agents to review the salaries and benefits of the President, Vice President, Governor and Deputy for their, and MPs in Nigeria to reflect the economic reality in the country.”

In the lawsuit, absorbing argues that, “Restrain the commission from arbitrarily increasing the salaries of the president, vice president, governor, their representatives, and members of parliament will serve legitimate public interests.”

Absorbing also argues that, “the constitutional mandate and law of RMAFC do not imply uncontrolled power to increase the salaries of the president, vice president, governor, their representatives, and lawmakers.”

According to absorption, “Reviewing the salaries of the president, vice president, their governors, their representatives, and members of parliament will be fully consistent and compatible with the Nigerian constitution, the country’s international human rights obligations, and the current economic reality in the country.”

The lawsuit filed in the name of absorbing by his lawyer, Kolawole Oluwadare, MS Oluwakemi Oni, and Andrew Nawankwo, was read in part: “When the constitutional mandate and RMAFC law with Nigerian fundamental rights, the public interest in increasing these rights, which must be done.

“The salary increase that will soon occur for the holders of the political office is a serious violation of the provisions of Chapter 2 of the Nigerian Constitution relating to the fundamental objectives and principles of the direction of state policy, and the country’s international human rights obligations.

“RMAFC must release the constitutional mandate and its law correctly to ‘monitor accruals and disbursement of income from the federation account and’ tell the federal and state government about efficiency and fiscal methods with which their income can be increased.”

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“Increased payments that will soon occur to the holders of political and public positions in Nigeria, especially the President, Vice President, Governor and Deputy, and MPs are a major abuse of the constitutional mandate and the RMAFC law.

“RMAFC does not have uncontrolled constitutional mandate and law or uncontrolled flexibility to increase the salaries of the president, vice president, governors and their deputy, and members of parliament.

“RMAFC has been incorrect and misinterpreted by the constitutional mandate and law by increasing the salaries of political office holders. The proposed salary increase is a violation of the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, the State Human Rights Obligation and the Legal Fairness Doctrine.

“RMAFC cannot legally or be justified in increasing the salaries of the president, vice president, governors and their deputy, and members of parliament at more than 133 million poor Nigerians and several state governments failed to pay the salaries of workers and retirement.

“RMAFC seems to act consistently to provide benefits to the political office holder for the interests of the Nigerian poor people. RMAFC, in the implementation of constitutional mandate and its law must balance the interests of the sector -the population sector that is marginalized and vulnerable to the ‘interests of’ political office holders.

“RMAFC must prioritize excessive deduction of the budgeted amount as benefits for the holders of the political office and lifelong retirement for former presidents, vice presidents, governors and their representatives, and lawmakers.

“The idea of ​​democracy, justice, and equality and non-discrimination representatives will mean a little if the salaries of political office holders increase arbitrarily while millions of poor Nigerians continue to go through terrible times and witness their standard of living.

“The gloomy condition of many Nigerians worsened by the decline in public services where access to water that is transmitted through affordable pipes and health care remains a dream and electricity supply is epilepsy and cannot be relied on in an era where globalization has made such services everywhere and cheap.”

“Judge Chuka Austine Obiozor from the Federal Lagos High Court ordered RMAFC to review and improve salaries, remuneration or allowances for members of the National Assembly to reflect the economic reality of the country.”

“The judgment dated June 4, 2021 followed the consolidation lawsuit brought by Mr. Monday Ubani, Mr. John Nwokwu, more than 1,500 Nigerians who cared, absorbed, Budgit and were enough Nigeria (Eie).”

No date set for the lawsuit session.