Politics
Amosun Defends Lawmakers’ Bogus Allowances
Senator Ibikunle Amosun says Nigerian lawmakers earn bogus allowances to run their offices and also meet the various needs of poor begging constituents.
“I’ve been opportuned to be a Senator between 2003 to 2007. After that, I returned to the Senate in 2019. I’ve now seen that what people say lawmakers earn is much. It could be much actually. But when we do comparison with other countries; what we provide for ourselves, lawmakers in other countries don’t provide for themselves.
“That’s why it seems what Nigerian lawmakers earn is much. That’s it. Like me, there is no week I don’t come to Abeokuta. Some lawmakers cannot go home because, look now, by the time you go outside you will meet 30 to 100 people who came for help, saying “my children want to go to school, I want this, I want that,” Mr Amosun said.
Disclosing this in an interview with BBC Yoruba on Monday, the former governor of Ogun State lamented that salaries and allowances of some federal lawmakers don’t last them one week due to various demands from their respective constituents.
“In Nigeria, people see politicians as the go to. Why? Because some politicians, before they assumed office, had nothing. So when people see that once he assumed office he is now rich, he becomes where everyone will go for help. That’s why whatever lawmakers earn does not last one week in their hands. That’s it,” Mr Amosun said.
Bogus salaries and allowances of Nigerian lawmakers has been a recurring issue whenever cost of governance is being debated. However, the exact amount a lawmaker earns in salaries and allowances remains a secret.
Senator Shehu Sani once revealed that each lawmaker gets close to N13 million every month as allowance, a revelation that further fuels suspicion that Nigerian lawmakers are among the highest paid in the world.
During a press conference held in Owerri, the coalition called the campaign a “dangerous and shameful display” designed to distract the public from the governor’s performance in office.
The CSOs directly linked the Greater Imo Initiative (GII) —the group that made the allegations on September 4, 2025—to Governor Uzodimma, describing the group as his “mouthpiece and attack dog.”
“Every word spoken against INEC was spoken on his behalf.
“By falsely alleging that Professor Yakubu has an alliance with Dr. Amadi to compromise the 2027 elections, Uzodimma has not only maligned a man of proven integrity but also assaulted the very foundation of our democracy”, said Dr Agbo Frederick, speaking for the coalition.
The coalition described Professor Yakubu as a “beacon of electoral professionalism” and called the attempt to soil his reputation “defamatory and a national security risk.”
They also defended Dr. Amadi, a “respected development scholar,” stating that the governor’s accusations were “laughable, desperate, and dangerous.”
The CSOs see the motive behind the campaign as an attempt to “silence the dissent, intimidate the opposition, and divert attention from the governor’s abysmal record in office.”
The coalition issued four key demands to Governor Uzodimma: An immediate retraction of the false and defamatory allegations against Professor Mahmood Yakubu and Dr. Chima Amadi.
- A public apology to both men within seven days, to be published in at least three national newspapers and broadcast on major television networks.
- An end to diversionary tactics and proxy propaganda.
- A renewed focus on governance, including addressing insecurity, unemployment, and poverty in Imo State.
The CSOs warned that failure to comply would force them to “review our position with a view to seeking legal redress from Governor Uzodimma for defamation, false accusation, and reckless endangerment of lives.”
“Governor Uzodimma must be reminded that he did not find himself in the seat of power to chase shadows.
“We call on all Nigerians to reject Uzodimma’s diversionary antics as they are nothing short of desperate plots by a government terrified of accountability”, the statement concluded.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC expressed concern that preventing the senator from resuming her legislative duties violates democratic principles and disenfranchises her constituents.
“The suspension, having been imposed by the Senate and not a court of law, has lapsed. Any further attempt to prevent her from resuming is therefore both illegal and morally indefensible,” Mallam Abdullahi said.
The party noted that denying Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan access to the chamber silences the voice of the people who elected her, adding that the withdrawal of her salary, aides, and office access during the suspension amounted to excessive punishment.
The ADC also criticised the Clerk of the National Assembly for declining to process her resumption on grounds that the matter was before the courts, arguing that the Clerk’s role was administrative, not judicial.
“Administrative caution must not translate into complicity. When the administrative machinery becomes hostage to political interests, the institution itself is diminished,” the party stated.
Highlighting that Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan is one of only four women in the 109-member Senate, the ADC warned that the handling of the case sends a discouraging signal about gender inclusion in Nigerian politics.
“Any action that resembles gender intimidation of the few women in the Senate would only discourage women’s participation. Nigeria cannot claim to be a democracy while excluding half of its population from key decision-making spaces,” Mallam Abdullahi added.
The ADC insisted that Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan be allowed to resume her seat immediately, stressing that the matter was about more than one individual.
“What is at stake here is not just one Senate seat, but the integrity of our democracy itself,” the party said.