The Labour Party (LP) has taken a swipe at the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) over its proposal to increase the salaries of political leaders, warning that such a move would amount to mocking Nigerians already weighed down by economic hardship.

In a statement signed by the Interim National Publicity Secretary, Prince Tony Akeni, LP described RMAFC Chairman Mohammed Shehu’s justification of the pay rise as “an insult to the intelligence of Nigerians,” insisting that the figures he quoted about the President and ministers’ pay are misleading.

“Rather than canvassing for more benefits for politicians, the Commission should direct its energy towards improving the living standards of Nigerian workers whose current minimum wage of ₦70,000 is a miserable sum in today’s economy,” the statement read.

The opposition party accused the APC-led government of fueling inequality by prioritising the comfort of politicians over the welfare of ordinary citizens. It also warned that rewarding politicians while ignoring workers could trigger public anger.

“Countless Nigerians are passing through untold economic hardship and deprivations, yet the RMAFC is busy pushing for a salary hike for the ruling elite. This is unconscionable, insensitive, and dangerous,” LP declared.

The party argued that the campaign for a pay rise only encourages the administration’s “reckless borrowings and mounting debt burden,” which have already mortgaged the nation’s future.

LP urged Nigerians to see the fight against corruption and elite greed as a collective mission, not one for Peter Obi or the party alone. “It is the fight of 200 million Nigerians for the sake of generations unborn,” Akeni stressed.

Framing the coming elections as a battle for survival, LP called for unity in 2027 to rescue Nigeria from what it described as “a government consumed by greed and corruption.”