FACT-CHECK: Claim That Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar Proposed No Salary for Nigerian Army Is False!
BY: Sonaike Peter
Claim:
The presidential candidates of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, respectively, have proposed that Nigerian Army personnel should not receive salaries.
Verdict:
False!
Full Text:
A viral claim circulating on X alleges that Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar have proposed a policy that would result in Nigerian soldiers working without receiving their salaries.
The claim was made by an X user identified as High Chief Lawrence, while commending thePresident Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration for approving salary increment for personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
The X post reads, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has kept his promise of a salary increment for our military personnel. Our soldiers have started receiving their September salaries with the approved increase reflected in their payments.”
It added, “But Atiku and Peter Obi are proposing a system that could see our soldiers return to working for months without receiving their salaries. They want to divert the money to enrich their families and friends under the guise of subsidies.”
The post had garnered 658 views as of the time of filing this report.
Verification:
A review of credible media reports and publicly available statements by FactCheckAfrica found no evidence that Peter Obi or Atiku Abubakar proposed stopping or withholding salaries for Nigerian Army personnel.
In Peter Obi’s case, the claim is contradicted by his public response to a similar viral allegation.
Recall that in August 2026, reports circulated claiming that Obi had asked Nigerian soldiers to reject the salary increase approved by President Bola Tinubu until after the 2027 elections.
Obi explicitly denied the claim, describing it as “entirely untrue” and stating that he had never advocated withholding improved remuneration from members of the security forces.
FactCheckAfrica also found no credible media report, official statement or record on Obi’s verified social-media accounts supporting the allegation that he asked soldiers to reject the salary increase.
The recent post by High Chief Lawrence provides no speech, interview, or other primary evidence showing that he proposed stopping or withholding military salaries. The claim therefore remains unsubstantiated.
Conclusion:
There is no credible evidence that Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar proposed that Nigerian Army personnel should work without receiving salaries.
Available evidence directly contradicts the allegation concerning Peter Obi, while no verifiable evidence has been presented to substantiate the allegation concerning Atiku Abubakar. The claim that both politicians proposed “no salary” for the Nigerian Army is therefore false and misleading.
