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SERAP Drags RMAFC To Court Over Proposed Salary Hike For Political Office Holders

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The Socio-economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), seeking to halt and reverse a proposed salary increase for Nigeria’s political elite.

The suit, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, is challenging the legality and morality of the commission’s proposal, arguing that it is unconstitutional and insensitive to the country’s dire economic realities.

The legal action comes in the wake of RMAFC’s recent announcement that it intends to review upward the salaries of the president, vice-president, governors, their deputies, and lawmakers.

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The commission had justified the proposed hike by claiming the current emoluments are paltry, a statement that has drawn widespread criticism from the public.

SERAP’s lawsuit, designated FHC/ABJ/CS/1834/2025, aims to get a court determination on whether such a move is unlawful, unconstitutional, and inconsistent with the rule of law.

READ ALSO:‘Missing N6trn’: SERAP Drags FG To ECOWAS Court Over Unpublished NDDC Audit

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The human rights advocacy group is not only seeking a declaration that the proposed salary increase is illegal, but also asking the court to issue a restraining order to prevent RMAFC from taking further steps to implement the pay rise.

Furthermore, SERAP is seeking an order directing the commission to review downward the salaries and allowances of these political office holders to better reflect the nation’s economic state.

In its suit, filed by Kolawole Oluwadare, Ms. Oluwakemi Oni, and Andrew Nwankwo, the human rights organisation contends that restraining the commission from arbitrarily increasing these salaries serves a legitimate public interest.

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It argued that while the RMAFC has a constitutional mandate to set salaries, this power is not unrestrained or unbridled.

According to SERAP, the proposed salary increase constitutes a gross misuse of the commission’s constitutional and statutory mandates and is a violation of the legal doctrine of reasonableness.

READ ALSO:SERAP Sues NNPCL Over Alleged Failure To Account For Missing N825bn, $2.5bn

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The lawsuit references a 2021 judgment by Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor of the Federal High Court, Lagos, which had previously ordered RMAFC to review downward and fix the salaries and allowances of members of the National Assembly.

That judgment followed a consolidated suit brought by a coalition of civil society organisations, including SERAP, BudgIT, and Enough is Enough Nigeria (EiE), along with concerned citizens.

SERAP’s suit also draws on fundamental constitutional principles, particularly those outlined in Chapter 2 of the Nigerian Constitution, which deals with the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy.

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The organisation argued that the proposed pay rise is a gross violation of these principles and the country’s international human rights obligations.

The lawsuit asserted that the combined provisions of Chapters 2 and 4, which focus on fundamental rights, give substance to the socio-economic rights of Nigerians and their right to equality and non-discrimination.

READ ALSO:‘Missing N6trn’: SERAP Drags FG To ECOWAS Court Over Unpublished NDDC Audit

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A central pillar of SERAP’s argument is the stark contrast between the proposed pay increase and the grim economic realities faced by the majority of Nigerians.

The legal action pointed out that over 133 million Nigerians are currently living in poverty, adding that several state governments are struggling to pay workers’ salaries and pensions, making an upward review of political salaries particularly insensitive and unjustifiable.

The lawsuit stated further, “RMAFC cannot legitimately or justifiably increase the salaries of the president, vice-president, governors and their deputies, and lawmakers at a time when over 133 million Nigerians are poor.”

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SERAP posited that the RMAFC appears to consistently prioritise the interests of political office holders over those of poor and vulnerable Nigerians.

The organisation maintained that the commission, in exercising its mandates, ought to balance the interests of the marginalised against the interests of the political class.

READ ALSO:SERAP Drags Tinubu To Court Over Fubara, Deputy, Lawmakers’ Suspension

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The lawsuit also advocated for prioritising cuts to the excessive allowances and life pensions for former political office holders, arguing that the principle of representative democracy, fairness, and equality is undermined when the living standards of millions of citizens plummet while political leaders enjoy arbitrary salary increases.

Furthermore, the suit painted a picture of the deteriorating public services in Nigeria, noting that access to essential services like pipe-borne water, affordable healthcare, and reliable electricity remains a dream for many, even as these services are becoming more ubiquitous and cheap globally.

This backdrop, according to SERAP, makes the proposed pay hike a morally reprehensible act and a betrayal of public trust.

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It would be recalled that the RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Bello, had stated on August 18, 2025, that the commission’s proposal for a pay rise was based on the seriously flawed ground that the salaries were paltry.

He claimed the review package was fair, realistic, and sustainable and aligned with the country’s current socio-economic realities.

He also noted that the last major overhaul of the allocation formula was in 1992, with only executive adjustments since 2002.

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No date has been fixed for the hearing of the case.

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UNIMAID, Federal Polytechnic Matriculate 82 Degree Students

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University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) in affiliation with the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi has matriculated 82 students into the degree programmes across five courses.

Speaking during the matriculation ceremony at the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi on Tuesday, Professor Muhammad Laminu Mele, the Vice chancellor, University of Maiduguri, charged the matriculated students to strictly adhere to the rules and regulations guiding the two institutions to enable them achieve the set objectives.

The VC, who was represented by Professor Muhammad Ahmad Waziri, Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Services, warned that any student or group of students trying to breach the peace of the two institutions would face the full wrath of the law.

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READ ALSO:NEDC Hands Over Mega School To Bauchi Govt

The Don further assured that the University and its affiliated institutions would continue to make easy access to higher quality education to the teeming population across the country.

In a remark, the Rector of the Polytechnic, Alhaji Sani Usman, said they were affiliated with the university to pursue academic excellence, describing the affiliation as a huge pillar in the education reforms.

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READ ALSO:Bauchi Govt, UNICEF Strengthen Education Platforms To Improve Learning Outcomes

The Rector, who was also represented by Dr. Dalhatu Saidu, the Deputy Rector of the Polymeric, commended the university of Maiduguri for not only improving the UNIMAID’s conducive learning environment but expanding the horizon to different higher institutions of learning across Nigeria.

He therefore advised the newly matriculated students to pursue knowledge, to interact freely with the Polytechnic staff, be vigilant and be a brother’s keeper, adding that this would help to achieve the desired objectives.

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The affiliated courses included BSc Mass Communication, BSc Accountancy, BSc Public Administration, BSc Business Administration and BSc Banking and Finance respectively.

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Trouble Looms As Egbesu Group Drags FG To Court Over Resource Control, Others

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Group known as Supreme Egbesu Assembly (SEA) has dragged the Federal Government and the National Assembly to a Federal High Court, Yenagoa, over failure to create additional 24 Local government councils in Bayelsa State as the need for Ijaw to control natural resources in its territory.

The Originating Summons marked: FHC/YNA/CS/63/2026 was filed on Tuesday April 21, 2026 by the plaintiffs including; Felix Tuodolo, Weri Digifa, Ebi Waribigha, Kabowei Akamade, Rosebella Jackson, Thomas Jacklloyd, Primrose Kpokposei, David Imole and Welman Warri at the Federal High Court Yenagoa.

Joined as defendants in the suit are the National Assembly, the Clerk of the National Assembly and the Attorney General of the Federation.

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In the court documents, the Egbesu Assembly premised their action on the alleged failure of the federal government particularly the National Assembly to deliberate, approve and amend the relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

This, according to them, is to allow for resource control as well as the creation of additional LGAs in the state to fulfil the requirements in line with the Constitution.

READ ALSO:FG Bans Unauthorized Use Of Ambassador Title

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The group is therefore seeking, among others, the amendment of the constitution by the National Assembly to allow for the right to resource control.

The Supreme Egbesu Assembly described the suit action as a promise kept.

Mranwh, In a press statement announcing the institution of the lawsuit on Tuesday, the Egbesu Assembly recalled that, on 12th February 2026, it wrote to both the Federal Government and the National Assembly wherein its gave a 21-Day ultimatum for the duo to respond to the age-long demands for resource control and creation of additional LGAs or face a lawsuit.

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The statement partly reads: “Recall that on 12th February 2026, we did inform you that we have written to the National Assembly and the federal government on the need for the creation of an additional 24 Local Government Areas in Bayelsa State as well as the control of our God-given natural resources in Ijaw territory.

“We promised that if the National Assembly and or federal government did not respond to these age-long demands, we were going to seek legal actions to address our demands.

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We gave a time frame of twenty-one days for them to respond to us—we got no response!

“Today the Supreme Egbesu Assembly (SEA) has kept to its promise.

“We instituted an action at the Federal High Court Yenagoa against the National Assembly and the Federal Government after the expiration of the 21 days. Today we were in court for the first hearing of both cases.”

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According to the group, creation of additional local government areas for Bayelsa is as old as the creation of the State itself.

The SEA maintained that “there is nowhere in any democracy where a state is limited to just 8 LGAs: more pathetic is the fact that Bayelsa State is an oil bearing State.

“Bayelsa State presently has twenty four Rural Development Authorities (RDA) which can be easily converted to Local Government areas thereby making the State eligible to participate in the sharing of allocation and the development of their areas for the purpose of justice and equity.

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Gentlemen, we wish to inform you that our suit on Resource Control is a revival of our age long agitation.”

The group further stated that Nigeria can no longer operate a system where contributors to the national coffers are not in charge of their resources.

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The group added that the lawsuit is therefore for the Ijaw people.

The Ijaw Nation must be free from all economic strangulation carried out against them by successive Governments,” they added.

The SEA called on all Ijaws to be steadfast and resolute, and continue to support the process by attending all court sessions, stating that “your solidarity is very vital at this point of time in our history. “

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The group also called on other Ijaw organizations, communities, Niger Delta people, organizations and all people of goodwill “to join in the march to control and manage our despoiled and mismanaged natural resources.”

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BREAKING: Tinubu Sacks Wale Edun, Dangiwa As Ministers

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President Bola Tinubu has approved a minor reshuffle of the Federal Executive Council, removing the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, from their cabinet positions.

Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Yomi Odunuga, said the development was contained in a memo signed by the
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.

According to the memo, Taiwo Oyedele has been appointed as the new Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.

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Also appointed is Dr. Muttaqha Darma as Minister-designate for Housing and Urban Development.

READ ALSO:VIDEO: I Took Over Leadership From Myself; The Late Buhari Is Me — Tinubu

The memo directed the outgoing ministers to complete handover processes to their respective successors or supervising officials.

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It stated that all handing over and taking over activities must be concluded on or before the close of business on Thursday, 23rd April, 2026.

Explaining the decision, Akume said the changes were aimed at improving coordination and strengthening delivery across key sectors of the economy under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

These changes are aimed at strengthening cohesion, synergy in governance as well as achieving more impactful delivery on the economy to Nigerians, through the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Akume stated.

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READ ALSO:VIDEO: Tinubu Till 2031, City Boy Movement Members Declare At Bayelsa Rally

He added that President Tinubu acted in line with his constitutional powers as provided under Sections 147 and 148 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The SGF also conveyed the President’s appreciation to the outgoing ministers for their service to the nation and wished them well in their future endeavours, noting that the process of cabinet reinvigoration would remain continuous.

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The statement further noted that Taiwo Oyedele was appointed as Minister of State for Finance in March 2026, while Edun was among the ministers appointed on August 16, 2023.

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