Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to immediately suspend the “patently unlawful and unconstitutional” pay rise for political and public office holders in Nigeria, particularly the President, Vice President, governors, their deputies, and the country’s lawmakers.

SERAP urged him to reject the imminent pay rise for politicians and encourage the Vice President, governors, their deputies, and lawmakers to do the same.

SERAP also urged him to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to ensure full and effective compliance with the judgment of Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor directing the RMAFC to review downward the salaries and allowances of the members of the National Assembly to reflect the economic realities in the country.

In the letter at the weekend, signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said the RMAFC’s constitutional and statutory mandates clearly did not imply the unrestrained powers to increase the salaries of public officials.

The body argued that suspending the imminent pay rise for political office holders would serve legitimate public interests. According to SERAP, rather than reviewing downward the salaries of political and public office holders to reflect the current economic challenges in the country, the commission is arbitrarily increasing the salaries for the president, vice-president, governors and their deputies, and lawmakers.