The 2027 African Action Congress, AAC, presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has criticised Nigerians opposing his proposed N500,000 minimum wage for Nigerian workers.Sowore described the opposition as “wickedness” and argued that the concerns over inflation should not be used to justify paying workers low wages.

The AAC presidential candidate made his position known in a post shared on X on Sunday.He questioned why some Nigerians earning millions of naira monthly would oppose a N500,000 minimum wage for workers.

According to Sowore, some individuals earning as much as N30 million monthly are among those criticising his proposal.“₦30 million for them is acceptable, but ₦500,000 for a Nigerian worker is inflationary?“Wickedness has become an economic policy!” he wrote.

Sowore also criticised low-income Nigerians who, according to him, support the argument that increasing workers’ salaries to N500,000 would automatically trigger inflation.

The former presidential candidate has consistently advocated higher wages for Nigerian workers, arguing that salaries should reflect the rising cost of living and economic realities in the country.

His latest comments have renewed debate over the appropriate minimum wage for Nigerian workers, with concerns over inflation, productivity, government revenue and workers’ purchasing power remaining central to the discussion.

The N500,000 proposal is significantly higher than the current statutory minimum wage, making it a potentially contentious issue ahead of the 2027 general elections.