SERAP Sues RMAFC Over Planned Salary Increase for Tinubu, Governors, Lawmakers
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has taken the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to court over its recent proposal to increase salaries for top political office holders, including President Bola Tinubu, Vice-President Kashim Shettima, governors, their deputies, and members of the National Assembly.
The lawsuit, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeks to stop what SERAP describes as an “unlawful and unconstitutional” pay rise. The organisation is asking the court to declare that the proposed increase is inconsistent with the Nigerian Constitution, the RMAFC Act, and the principles of good governance.
SERAP further wants the court to issue an injunction restraining the commission from going ahead with the plan and instead direct it to reduce the remuneration of political office holders in line with current economic realities.
SERAP argued that the commission’s statutory powers do not give it a blank cheque to arbitrarily adjust the pay of political leaders. With over 133 million Nigerians reportedly living in poverty, the group said, increasing salaries for politicians would be unjust, insensitive, and contrary to the rights to equality and non-discrimination guaranteed in the Constitution.
The organisation also referenced a 2021 judgment by a Federal High Court in Lagos which ordered RMAFC to review downwards the salaries and allowances of lawmakers to reflect Nigeria’s socio-economic situation.
The RMAFC, however, has defended its proposal. Chairman Mohammed Bello described the current salaries as “paltry,” stressing that they have not undergone a comprehensive review since 1992, though adjustments have been made at intervals since 2002.
He maintained that a new package would be fair, realistic, and sustainable.
The case has sparked wider debate across the country, with civil society groups and ordinary citizens criticizing the timing of the planned increase.
Many argue that resources should be directed towards improving public services and alleviating hardship rather than boosting the pay of elected officials.
The suit, filed under reference FHC/ABJ/CS/1834/2025, has yet to be assigned a hearing date, but its outcome could set an important precedent for how the cost of governance is managed in Nigeria.
