Headlines
Why We Increased Tinubu’s Salary to N8m Per Month – RMAFC
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has adjusted the remuneration of President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and other political and judicial officeholders by 114 per cent.
Mr Tinubu will earn N8,013,527 monthly, a 114 per cent increase from former President Muhammadu Buhari’s monthly salary of N3,514,705, according to a report presented by RMAFC chairman, Muhammadu Shehu, on Tuesday in Birnin Kebbi.
Mr Shehu presented the reports of the reviewed remuneration package to Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris.
The RMAFC chairman, represented by the federal commissioner, Rakiya Tanko-Ayuba, presented the report to the governor during a courtesy visit at the Government House, Birnin Kebbi.
Mr Shehu said the move was in line with paragraph 32(d) of Part 1 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution, which empowers the commission to review the remuneration of political office holders.
Recalling that the last review of the remuneration was carried out in 2007, Mr Shehu said the commission held a public hearing in all the geopolitical zones to deliberate on the review of remuneration packages on February 1.
The chairman said the commission reviewed the remuneration packages in the reports based on subjective and objective criteria.
“The subjective criteria reflected the various expressions by stakeholders through memoranda received, opinions expressed during the zonal public hearings and responses to questionnaires administered.
“The objectives of the criteria were obtained from analysis of macro-economic variables, particularly the Consumer Price Index (CPI),” he noted.
He added that the commission was also guided by some principles, including equity and fairness; risk and responsibilities; national order of precedence; motivation and tenure of office.
Mr Shehu said concerning allowances and fringe benefits, the commission recommended that the existing allowances be maintained at the current levels since that would translate to higher provisions in actual amounts when applied on the reviewed annual basic salary.
The chairman explained that concerning the judicial office holders, the commission considered introducing three new allowances.
He listed the allowances to include “Professional Development Assistant: This is to allow for the provision of two law clerks to all judicial officers in the country.
“Long Service Allowance: This is to guarantee seniority/hierarchy between officers who have been on the bench for a minimum of five years and those that are appointed newly as well as Restricted or Forced Lifestyle: This is to take care of the nature of the lifestyle of judicial officers while in active service.”
Mr Shehu said the commission recommended January 1, 2023, as the effective date for implementing the reviewed remuneration packages.
He urged the 36 states Houses of Assembly to hasten efforts to amend relevant laws to allow for upward review of remuneration packages for political, judicial and public officers.
The work by the State Houses of Assembly will allow for the commencement of implementation of the reviewed remuneration packages for political, public and judicial officers.
The state governor with his deputy, Abubakar Tafida; speaker of the Kebbi State House of Assembly, Muhammadu Ankwai; acting chief judge of the state, Umar Abubakar; the SSG, Yakubu Tafida; head of service, Safiyanu Bena; and the chief of staff, Attahiru Maccido, keenly listened to the presentation.
The governor pledged that the committee under his chairmanship would justly look into the report and convey the same to the appropriate quarters for necessary action.
NAN
By Eric Elezuo
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has been declared winner of the presidential primary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The declaration was made at the Trascorp Hilton Hotel, where the final collation of results was made.
The former Vice President polled a total of 1, 846, 370 votes to defeat his closest rival, former Governor of Rivers State, Hon Rotimi Amaechi, who scored just over 500 thousand votes. Alhaji Muhammed Hayatu-Deen came third.
Headlines
ADC Presidential Primary: Hayatu-Deen Alleges Rigging, Withdraws from Results Announcement
One of the presidential aspirants of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, says he will not attend the announcement of the party’s presidential primary election results, citing allegations of widespread vote rigging.
In a statement on his X handle on Tuesday, Hayatu-Deen expressed concern over reports of electoral irregularities from across the country.
The ADC aspirant noted that he witnessed some of the incidents.
“I will not be attending the announcement of the ADC Presidential Election Results today. I am concerned by reports from across the country of widespread vote rigging, some of which I myself observed, and will therefore be taking advice on my next steps,” the statement read.
The development comes amid keen competition for the ADC presidential ticket involving former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Minister of Transportation and former Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, and Hayatu-Deen.
The ADC presidential primary election collation exercise will take place in Abuja. Results are expected from across the nation.
Ahead of the nationwide presidential primary held on Monday, the ADC had urged aspirants, party leaders, delegates, and members to conduct themselves peacefully and uphold party unity.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, described the exercise as a defining moment for both the ADC and Nigerians seeking a credible political alternative.
According to him, the party remained committed to internal democracy and a transparent leadership selection process.
“The ADC remains proud to stand today as the only truly democratic party in Nigeria because it is the only political party whose choice of presidential candidate is determined through open primaries,” Abdullahi stated.
The party also stressed that the conduct of aspirants and party members during the exercise would reflect the leadership culture the ADC seeks to promote.
Headlines
You’re Not Different from APC, INEC, Amaechi Slams ADC, Rejects Presidential Primary Results
A former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has rejected the results of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primaries, alleging widespread voter disenfranchisement and electoral malpractice.
Amaechi, in a statement posted on his X handle on Tuesday, described the outcome of the exercise as “concocted results.”
He said he had earlier made it clear that he would only accept the outcome of the primaries if the process was free, fair and transparent.
“I will not accept results from a process that does not reflect the values that the ADC had pledged to uphold,” he said.
Amaechi alleged that about 80 percent of party members across the country were prevented from voting during the exercise.
“There’s no way that about eighty percent of members of the party were not allowed to vote, and you expect me to accept such results,” he stated.
The former Governor of Rivers State accused the party of engaging in practices it had previously condemned in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to him, the ADC cannot criticize vote buying, rigging and manipulation of election results by others while allegedly engaging in similar acts during its own primary.
Amaechi added that the development was unacceptable and contrary to the ideals upon which the party was founded.
