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 salaries for Nigeria’s top political and public office holders, including the president, vice-president, governors, their deputies, and federal lawmakers.
The suit, numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/1834/2025, was lodged last week at the Federal High Court in Abuja. SERAP is seeking a declaration that the proposed hike is “unlawful, unconstitutional, and inconsistent with the rule of law,” while urging the court to issue an injunction restraining RMAFC from proceeding with the review.
RMAFC had announced in August that it would push for higher pay, describing the current salaries as “paltry” and insisting that the package would remain “fair, realistic, and sustainable.” The commission also cited the fact that the last comprehensive overhaul of salaries dated back to 1992.
But SERAP’s deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said the move is a betrayal of public trust at a time when more than 133 million Nigerians live in poverty and many state governments struggle to pay workers and pensioners.
“The RMAFC cannot legitimately increase the salaries of political office holders when millions of poor Nigerians face worsening living conditions and the government has failed to deliver basic services such as water, electricity, and affordable healthcare,” SERAP argued in its court filings.
The group also asked the court to compel RMAFC to review downward the salaries and allowances of political leaders to reflect the harsh economic realities and to cut “excessive” allowances and life pensions for former officeholders.
SERAP maintained that the proposed hike would violate Chapter 2 of the 1999 Constitution, which outlines the state’s obligation to promote equality and social justice. It also pointed to a 2021 judgment by Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor of the Federal High Court, which directed RMAFC to adjust lawmakers’ pay downward to match economic conditions.
“The RMAFC seems to consistently prioritise the interests of political elites over those of poor and marginalised Nigerians,” SERAP stated. “The idea of representative democracy would mean little if salaries are arbitrarily raised while citizens continue to suffer.”
No date has yet been fixed for the hearing of the case, which is being handled by SERAP’s legal team led by Kolawole Oluwadare, Ms. Oluwakemi Oni, and Andrew Nwankwo.
