IN SHORT: Several Facebook posts claim that politician and presidential aspirant Peter Obi urged Nigerian soldiers to reject the new salary increases until after the 2027 election. But Obi has dismissed the claim as "entirely untrue".
Nigerian president Bola Tinubu has approved salary increases for Nigerian Armed Forces personnel, effective from 1 September 2026. The increases range from 30% to 80% depending on rank.
The announcement has drawn mixed reactions, with some Nigerians welcoming the higher pay and others questioning its timing.
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Against this backdrop, some Facebook posts claim that Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, said the army should reject the increases until after the 2027 general election.
One post, dated 8 August 2026, reads: "Nigeria army should reject the new approved salary increase until after 2027 election - Peter Obi."
The same claim was found here, here, here and here.
But did Obi make such a statement? We checked.
No truth to it
Africa Check found no credible media reports of Obi making such a statement. It would likely have received wide coverage if it were true.
We also checked his official social media accounts but found no record of it.
Obi often criticises the Tinubu administration over issues relating to governance, insecurity and economic hardship, but we found no credible evidence that he told soldiers to reject the pay rise.
On 11 August 2026, Obi dismissed the claim as "entirely untrue" in a statement on his verified X account.
"I wish to address a recent report that falsely attributes a statement to me, suggesting that Nigerian soldiers should refuse any salary increments until after the elections. This assertion is entirely untrue," the statement reads, in part.
The claim is false.
