By Mike Odiakose, Abuja

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned the proposed salary increases for Nigeria’s political office holders, describing the move as tone-deaf and an affront to the struggling Nigeria people.The proposed review by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), would see the President, Vice President, governors, and other top officials receive substantial pay increases at a time when millions of Nigerians are grappling with the effects of inflation, rising fuel costs, and an inadequate minimum wage.

In a statement by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, the party notes the constitutional mandate of the RMAFC to review salaries of political office holders, but considering such at this time further underlines how far this government is disconnected from the reality of Nigerian people. Part of the statement read:”The African Democratic Congress (ADC) strongly condemns the plan by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to increase the salaries of political office holders, including the President, Vice President, Senate President, governors, and other top officials. “We are aware of the Commission’s constitutional mandate to periodically review relevant emoluments of political office holders in the country. However, proposing such review at a time when millions of Nigerians are struggling with soaring food inflation, high cost of fuel, inadequate and largely unpaid minimum wage would indicate a total disregard for the people. “While the Chairman of RMAFC attempting to justify the proposed increases by describing the current pay structure of political office holders as inadequate, unrealistic, and outdated,’ the ADC wishes to draw the public’s attention to the fact that these salaries are already supplemented with sundry bogus and opaque allowances, perks, and other discretionary funds, which together far exceed what ordinary Nigerians earn. “How else are the political office holders able to support their lifestyle of luxury and opulence if indeed these “outdated” salaries means anything to them. “For perspective, our national minimum wage stands at N70,000 per month — a figure that has been largely eroded by the APC’s inflation, even where it has been paid. Yet, unlike public office holders, most Nigerians do not receive additional allowances or emoluments to cushion the effects of the rising costs of living. “This is why, this proposed plan to increase the salaries of public office holders is not only tone-deaf, it is an all-out affront to the Nigerian people. It signals that the government is clearly disconnected from the struggles of ordinary citizens. “In light of these developments, the ADC demands that this absurd plan be suspended immediately.”No such increase should be implemented while ordinary citizens are grappling with extreme financial hardship. Government should focus on improving the lives of the people rather than improving the salaries of the President and other political office holders who already live in obscene indulgence. “Government has no moral right to demand sacrifice from ordinary citizens while they focus on making lives easier for themselves. Political office holders cannot be insulated from economic hardships, while the everyday-Nigerian suffers.”As a party, we strongly believe that rather than further enriching political elites, all government policies at this time should prioritize raising the minimum wage to a living standard, ensuring timely and fair salaries for our civil servants, and strengthening our social welfare programs to reach the most vulnerable Nigerians.”

By Mike Odiakose, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is plotting to use security operatives to muzzle the Zamfara State constituency by-election.The alarm was raised by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Hon Debo Ologunagba at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday.

He stressed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration is unrelenting in its quest to emasculate the Nigerian democratic space. According to the PDP Spokesman, “this is currently playing out in the conduct of the bye-elections in various states of the country with particular reference to that of Kaura Namoda South State Constituency of in Zamfara State.”Available reports reveal that the Kaura Namoda South State Constituency Bye Election held on Saturday, 16th August 2025 was marred by massive intimidation, threat and harassment of the voters by APC controlled security agencies. “Photographs/video evidence reveal the brutalization of voters and carting away of ballot boxes by heavily armed security personnel who boasted that they were acting on orders from above.”As a result of the induced intimidation and suppression of votes, the election which was overwhelmingly won by the PDP was curiously declared “inconclusive” in five Polling Units, namely; Alko/Shiyar Kudu PU, Sakajiki Ward; Shiyar Magaji/Kofar Hamza PU, Kyambarawa Ward; Shiyar Nufawa/ kofar MD Nuhu PU, Sakajiki Ward; Tukasu/Sabuwar Kasuwa PU, Kyambarawa Ward; Kofar Fada/Shiyar Fada PU, Kyambarawa Ward with the intent to enable the APC manipulate the electoral process and allocate the victory of the PDP in the election to the APC.”In their desperation to subvert the Will of the people in the re-run election scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, 21st August 2025, the APC in an operation which allegedly has the involvement of a Minister from Zamfara State is currently deploying full battalions of the Army, the Navy, the Airforce, the Mobile Police Force and the Directorate of State Services (DSS) from Abuja and other parts of the country to just five Polling Units in Zamfara State. “The aim of this nefarious deployment is to foist a siege mentality on the people of the Constituency, intimidate, terrorize and prevent them from coming out to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed right to vote, having realized that the APC has been soundly rejected by the people of Zamfara State.”Intelligence available to our Party reveals that the APC intends to use the security agencies to bully and prevent officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from conducting a free, fair and credible electoral process as well as assist the APC to manipulate and declare a result that is at variance with the expressed Will and Aspiration of the people.”The implication of this ugly development under President Tinubu’s watch is that it constitutes a clear and present danger to democracy, stability and cooperate existence of our country, knowing from history that the Zamfara people are not a conquered people but always standing firm to defend their rights in the face of any aggression.”Our Party invites Nigerians and the International Community to note that the APC’s resort to state-backed intimidation and force in election is a clear signal of the creeping totalitarianism and one-party State which the APC has stated as its cardinal goal in our country. This is a recipe for crisis!”Our Party also calls on Nigerians and the International Community to hold the APC responsible should there be any breakdown of Law and Order in Kaura Namoda South State Constituency or any part of Zamfara State.”Moreover, the PDP and of course the people of Zamfara State will not accept any results that is at variance with the expressed Will of the people as evidenced by the already collated results from Kaura Namoda South State Constituency.”It is clear and the APC should know that Zamfara State is a PDP State and the people are standing firmly with the PDP and Governor Dauda Lawal who has turned around the State with the implementation of life-enhancing infrastructural, human capital and citizen empowerment development programes and will never surrender to the assaults of the APC.”The PDP called on President Tinubu and demands for immediate halt in this APC’s plot to use security forces to undermine democracy and subvert the sovereign Will of the people to freely elect their own representatives.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) youths have warned President Bola Tinubu against manipulating the process of appointing successor of INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu whose tenure is ending in December 2025.

Speaking under the platform of the African Democratic Youth Congress (ADYC) on Tuesday in Abuja, the youths insisted that no matter who is appointed, they would defeat the ruling APC in 2027—even if Tinubu makes his media aide, Bayo Onanuga, the head of INEC.

Politics is about numbers. They can bring all the money they want, but we will still defeat them in 2027.

“We saw Onanuga asking how market. The waters have been tested. We have other elections coming up and that is when they will know how market is because it is going to be fire for fire.

“On INEC, if Tinubu so wishes, he can make Bayo Onanuga the chairman but we in ADC, come 2027, we will make INEC do the needful. We have had enough. 

“We are going to defend our votes from the polling units to the final collation centre. They can bring trillions of Naira. We are going to collect the money but we will vote ADC.

“If the president is going to choose the next INEC chairman, he should put Nigeria first. Someone who has integrity and who has the interest of Nigeria first and not given to primordial or partisan interests,” the group said.

ADYC leaders including National Coordinator Ruqayya Lamido Dodo, Director General Murtala Haliru Dantoro, Joshua Nweke Anioma, and others, all spoke at the meeting.

Dantoro described last Saturday’s bye-elections as “a show of shame,” lamenting that vote-buying was rampant.

Noting that vote buying is criminal, he said “What happened in my state, Niger, was heartbreaking. To be in a country whereby we cannot make decisions. Our decisions are baseless.”

“In Niger, they were paying people for as low as N2,000. I don’t know who said they should do that or who asked them to do that but we want the president to take note. It is unfortunate what happened but we pray Nigeria gets better.

“Our message is simple: We refuse to inherit a broken system. We are here to fix it with the strength of unity. We are not just a youth wing; we are the driving force of the ideologies of the Coalition party, African Democratic Congress ADC, and the future of this nation.”

Mrs Dodo also stressed that young Nigerians are tired of being sidelined.

“For decades, we have heard the same tired promises. We have been called the ‘leaders of tomorrow’, a phrase that has become little more than a polite way to sideline us from today’s critical decisions. 

“Our generation is tired of being spectators in a nation that belongs to us. We are tired of seeing our potentials wasted, our voices ignored, and our future held hostage by a political system that has failed us repeatedly.

“Today, we are here to declare that the African Democratic Youth Congress, the ADYC, is changing that narrative. We are not just a youth wing; we are the vanguard of a new movement. We are not waiting for tomorrow; we are building our nation today. We are the architects of a new Nigeria.

“The ADYC is the engine room of the African Democratic Congress ADC. Our mandate is simple but profound: to re-engineer Nigeria’s political landscape by championing the core values of transparency, accountability, and radical inclusion,” she said.

The group said its plan is to grow a nationwide movement from the grassroots up, empowering young people across states, local governments, and communities.

“We are not interested in a top-down approach. Our strategy is to mobilize from the grassroots up, which we have done and are still doing, empowering young people in their communities to become agents of change.

“We are setting up local chapters and organizing community development projects that tackle real-world problems. We are using both traditional outreach and modern digital tools to ensure that our message of hope and action reaches every young Nigerian,” they declared.

End 

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