Former Senator Ishaku Abbo, who represented Adamawa North Senatorial District, has stirred debate by claiming that the monthly earnings of Nigerian senators, which amount to N29 million, are not as substantial as they seem.
Speaking in an interview on Arise TV, Abbo argued that the figure appears large on paper but is insufficient to cover the demands and challenges that come with the role of a senator.
Abbo shared his experience, revealing that when he served in the Senate, his salary and allowances totaled N14.4 million per month. He broke down these earnings, explaining, “When I was in the Senate, cumulatively, all the allowances were N14.4 million per month. You have a wardrobe allowance, a vehicle allowance, and other allowances put together that were N14.4 million, including the N1 million salary.”
He then compared this to the current earnings of senators, which have risen to N29 million. Despite the increase, Abbo emphasized that the amount is still inadequate. He said, “It is about N29 million now. N29 million looks big on paper. I’m saying this as an honest man. I’m not trying to support the National Assembly, and I’ve been a member of that vilified institution for five years. I am not standing with them, but I’ll bear the facts on the table.”
Abbo went on to describe how his financial situation worsened after leaving his business to become a senator. He noted that the money allocated to his office was not sufficient to meet the needs of his constituents.
“I had to leave the company I founded, in which I was the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, to go into governance when I won the election. I had to start subsidizing my life because the money that was allocated to my office was absolutely nothing considering the demand and challenges faced by my own constituents on a daily basis,” he explained.
The former senator highlighted a specific instance where he spent N14 million on medical care for just one person. He also described how his office was constantly overwhelmed by people seeking financial assistance from all over Adamawa State and beyond. In response to these pressures, Abbo said he often had to seek help from state governors to cover some of the expenses.
Abbo also compared the earnings of senators to those of state governors. He alleged that some governors receive up to N1 billion monthly for state responsibilities. He stated, “From N14 million, I was paying for people’s scholarships, subsidizing people’s expenses while a state governor in this country is going home with over N700 million security vote every month, some go home with N1 billion to do other security issues.”
Reflecting on his time in politics, Abbo admitted that it left him financially worse off than when he was a businessman. He said, “I am poorer, much poorer as a man when I became a politician than I was before I became a politician.”
The issue of lawmakers’ remuneration in Nigeria has long been a topic of controversy. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo recently criticized federal lawmakers for setting their own salaries and benefits. Unfortunately the Senate has denied, calling it a lie. According to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, each of the 109 senators in the Nigerian Senate officially receives a total of N1.06 million in salary and allowances per month.