FACT-CHECK: Did Peter Obi Ask Nigerian Army To Reject Salary Increase Until After 2027 Election? 

BY: Habeeb Adisa

Claim:
Peter Obi said: “Nigeria army should reject the new approved salary increase until after the 2027 election.”

Verdict:
False. FactCheckAfrica found no credible evidence that Peter Obi made the statement attributed to him. Searches of publicly available statements, interviews, speeches and media reports did not produce any record of Obi asking Nigerian soldiers or the Army to reject the newly approved salary increase until after the 2027 election.

Full Text:
A graphic circulating online and bearing the branding of Peoples Gazette attributes the following statement to Peter Obi:

“Nigeria army should reject the new approved salary increase until after 2027 election”

The graphic identifies Adefemola Akintade as the author and is dated August 8, 2026. It presents the statement as a direct quotation from Obi and implies that the former Anambra State governor called on members of the Nigerian Army to reject the Federal Government’s newly approved salary increase. However, the claim news is not archived on the Peoples Gazette website.

However, FactCheckAfrica found no credible evidence that Obi made the statement.

The claim comes amid reports that President Bola Tinubu approved a new salary structure for personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The approved increase ranges from 30% to 80%, depending on rank, and is scheduled to take effect on September 1, 2026. 

The development therefore provides a real event around which the alleged quotation has been constructed. But the existence of the salary increase does not establish that Obi made the statement attributed to him.

Verification:
FactCheckAfrica searched for the exact quotation, “Nigeria army should reject the new approved salary increase until after the 2027 election” — as well as variations of the statement across publicly available news reports, interviews, speeches and Obi’s publicly available statements.

The search found no credible video, transcript, interview, speech or news report showing that Peter Obi made the statement.

We also reviewed publicly available statements by Obi concerning the Nigerian military and the welfare of security personnel.

For example, in April 2026, following the killing of Brigadier-General O. Braimah and other soldiers in a Boko Haram attack, Obi publicly expressed concern about the safety and welfare of members of the Armed Forces. He called for deeper reflection on the value placed on the lives of citizens serving in defence of the country and urged stronger efforts to safeguard them.  This is materially different from telling soldiers to reject a salary increase.

There is also a documented history of Obi criticising salary increases for political office holders. In August 2025, for instance, he condemned a proposed increase in the remuneration of political office holders, describing the proposal as insensitive and arguing that the government should prioritise the welfare of ordinary Nigerians and security personnel. 

That earlier position may provide context for why a statement about salary increases could appear plausible to some readers. However, Obi’s criticism of proposed pay increases for political office holders is not evidence that he asked the Army to reject a salary increase for military personnel.

The Federal Government’s latest military pay increase was separately confirmed by the Presidency and reported by Reuters. Under the new structure, personnel from private to staff sergeant will receive an 80% increase, warrant officers to colonels will receive 50%, while officers above the rank of colonel, including generals, will receive 30%. 

The State House had also previously reported in March 2026 that the President had approved upward reviews of salaries for members of the Armed Forces, alongside other welfare measures.  However, FactCheckAfrica found no evidence connecting Peter Obi to the alleged demand that the Army delay acceptance of its salary increase until after those elections.

Conclusion:
The claim that Peter Obi said, “Nigeria army should reject the new approved salary increase until after the 2027 election,” is false. Although President Bola Tinubu has approved a new salary structure for Armed Forces personnel, FactCheckAfrica found no record that Peter Obi called on the Nigerian Army to reject or delay the salary increase until after the 2027 election. The statement attributed to Obi is therefore unsupported and misattributed