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I Earn N750, 000 as Senate President, Says Lawan
The Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, has revealed his monthly salary as the chairman of the National Assembly.
He said he earns N750,000 while other members of the national Assembly receive “what is their salary.”
His declaration, however, excludes other allowances allocated to the lawmakers.
Mr Lawan spoke at the Senators Forum in Abuja on Tuesday.
He had promised that the ninth Senate will be open so Nigerians will know what the lawmakers are doing.
“The 9th National Assembly is going to be open so Nigerians will know what we are doing. I never believe there is anything called jumbo pay to the National Assembly. The National Assembly members receive what is their salary. I receive N750,000 as my salary.
“My office needs to be properly funded and therefore I cannot conduct my oversight without some backing. Nigerians need to understand this. We need to continue relating with Nigerians because they deserve to be explained to,” he said.
According to him, the National Assembly needs proper funding “because the legislature is so critical in any national development.”
The lawmakers further assured that the ninth Senate is determined to ensure that annual budget is passed within three months.
“We believe this is achievable and doable. We will work with the executive to present the appropriation bill in time and maybe at the end of September, the National Assembly will sit and work with the MDAs within a specified time frame and process the budget and before we leave for Christmas by December. We will pass the budget.
“We must ensure that this country moves forward because the economy of Nigeria depends on public expenditure. We want to see a budget process that starts and ends within three months that ends December so we go back to January to December cycle,” he said.
One of the many calls made to lawmakers of previous assemblies has been transparency in the National Assembly budget.
Many activists and Civil Society Organisations have overtime, queried the huge allowances allocated to the lawmakers as they have refused to make the details of their budget public.
One of such allowances that generated controversy in the eight Senate was the N13.5 million paid monthly to senators as ‘running cost’.
On Tuesday, Mr Lawal refused to speak specifically on the running cost, an indication the practise will continue under him.
Another development that characterised previous assemblies was the delay in passage of budgets as well as budget padding. Previous assemblies spent over three months to pass the annual budget and, on several occasions, the National Assembly gave excuses like late presentation, failure of MDAs to appear before committees, oversight functions among others for these delays.
Mr Lawan, however, urged Nigerians to expect very good outcomes from the ninth assembly.
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World-renowned boxer Anthony Joshua on Monday survived a ghastly road accident in Makun, Ogun State.
Eyewitnesses report that the incident occurred along a busy highway of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The vehicle carrying Joshua, a Lexus Jeep with the number plate, KRD 850 HN, reportedly collided with a stationary truck under circumstances that are still being investigated.
Joshua reportedly sustained minor injuries, while two persons were said to have died on the spot.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has cautioned that any attempt to hurriedly re‑gazette Nigeria’s new tax laws could undermine parliamentary oversight and set a dangerous constitutional precedent.
Atiku’s warning follows public scrutiny over reports that the Tax Reform Acts signed by President Bola Tinubu differ from the versions passed by the National Assembly. Lawmakers, including Abdussamad Dasuki, raised concerns that the alterations could pose serious legal and constitutional risks, noting that they were not backed by any constitutional framework.
In a statement on X, Atiku said the directive to re-gazette the Acts effectively confirms “that the gazetted version of the Tinubu Tax Act does not reflect what was duly passed by the National Assembly,” calling it “a grave constitutional issue.”
He emphasized that under Section 58 of the 1999 Constitution, a bill only becomes law after passage by both chambers, presidential assent, and gazetting.
“Gazetting is merely an administrative act of publication. It does not create, amend, or validate a law,” Atiku said, adding that any post-passage insertion, deletion, or modification without legislative approval constitutes forgery rather than a clerical error.
Atiku further warned that rushing a re-gazetting while legislative investigations are ongoing “undermines parliamentary oversight and sets a dangerous precedent,” stressing that the only lawful approach is “fresh legislative consideration, re-passage by both chambers, fresh presidential assent, and proper gazetting.”
The former vice president clarified that his position is not opposition to tax reform but a defence of constitutional order.
“This is a defence of the integrity of the legislative process and a rejection of any attempt to normalise constitutional breaches through procedural shortcuts,” he said.
The Federal government has denied wrongdoing, insisting the laws will take effect as scheduled on January 1, 2026, while the National Assembly has directed the issuance of Certified True Copies of the Acts to ensure clarity and accuracy.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Candidate in the 2023 elections, Mr. Peter Obi, is set to formally join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on December 31, 2025.
The development would put to rest months of speculation about where the former Governor of Anambra State would pitch his tent in the coming elections.
Reports claim that Obi would be defecting with serving senators and other lawmakers elected on the platform of the LP, as well as remnants of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the South East region.
Specifically, Obi would be defecting alongside the Senator representing Anambra Central, Victor Umeh; that of Anambra North, Tony Nwoye; Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe; PDP chieftain Ben Obi; and members of the Obidient movement in the region.
It is not clear if the Abia State governor, Alex Otti, is part of the planned movement to the ADC.
The governor was recently approached by the PDP to join the party and re-contest his current position in 2027.
Further reports quoted Obi’s spokesperson, Valentine Obienyem, as confirming the planned defection of his boss to the ADC.
“Yes, it is true,” he reportedly said on Sunday.
Senator Umeh said the event would hold in Enugu, adding that it would involve all Obi’s supporters across the South East region.
“They will come from Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi and Imo states to join those in Enugu, where this exercise will hold on 31st December,” he reportedly added.
Sources hinted that Obi, who has not hidden his intention to appear on the ballot in 2027, would contest the presidential ticket of the ADC.
On his part, Chief Chekwas Okorie, reportedly said that the expected formal defection of Obi to the ADC is a healthy development that could reshape the thinking and permutations of the 2027 general elections.
“I imagine that he would be defecting along with most of his associates and followers. I believe that a fortified and strong ADC will add value to the opposition and assuage the general fear of a possible one-party option to Nigerians come 2027. The APC, ADC and possibly the PDP locking horns in the 2027 democratic encounter promises a vibrant and robust electioneering campaign that will provide Nigerians the required options to make informed choices in electing their preferred leaders at all levels. I imagine that the APC leadership will return to the drawing table to map out the strategy to confront the emerging challenge. Nigerians are in interesting times,” Okorie stated.
National President of Njiko Igbo Forum (NIF), Rev Okechukwu Obioha, vouched support for Obi to ensure he reaches the pinnacle of his political career. He, however, cautioned that the ADC should not compromise merit and integrity in the choice of its presidential candidate, stressing that Obi remains the “hope for the restoration of the country on the path of greatness.”
