President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has denied a viral report saying his administration has approved a 114% increase in the financial take-home for himself, the vice president, governors, lawmakers, as well as judicial and public office holders.

Dele Alake, the president’s spokesperson, disclosed this while responding to a remark attributed to a Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) official claiming a 114% wage rise for political office holders has been granted.

He noted that the story was false, saying: “misinformation was, obviously, contrived to create ill-will for the new administration, slow down the upward momentum and massive goodwill the Tinubu-led administration is currently enjoying among Nigerians as a result of its fast paced, dynamic and progressive policies.”

Mr. Alake did not deny that the RMAFC made such a recommendation, but he stated that it could not be implemented until the president approved it.

“While we recognise that it is within the constitutional remit of Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission to propose and fix salaries and allowances of political office holders and Judicial Officers, such can not come to effect until it has equally been considered and approved by the President,” he wrote in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES.

He called on journalists, media managers, and members of the public to shun stories on government activities and policy issues that do not emanate from approved official communication channels.

The proposal to increase the wages of politicians at a time when many Nigerians are struggling with increased prices of goods and services due to the removal of subsidy on petrol, among other policies, has attracted condemnations from many Nigerians, including Peter Obi of the opposition Labour Party.

In a statement through his verified Twitter handle on Thursday, the former governor of Anambra State argued that “one would have expected the leaders and public officeholders to focus on cutting the cost of governance and alleviating the sufferings of Nigerians”.

Also, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, vowed to sue President Bola Tinubu’s administration over the contentious proposed pay rise for top government officials.

In a tweet on its Twitter account, SERAP called the salary increases “outrageous,” noting that over 133 million Nigerians now live in abject poverty.