Opposition Challenges Presidency Over New Presidential Jet

The Peoples Democratic Party and the Labour Party, on Monday, berated the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government for purchasing a new presidential jet worth $100m without the approval of the National Assembly.

The PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, and Deputy Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, described the action of the government as insensitive, while Nigerians are generally facing hard times and struggling to feed.

Similarly, the campaign spokesman for the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Yunusa Tanko, said it was worrisome that the President would prioritised his convenience over the well-being of the generality of Nigerians amid the economic hardship in the country.

On Monday, President Tinubu embarked on a working visit to France aboard a newly acquired Airbus A330 business jet.

The aircraft is now registered to the Nigerian Air Force.

This model, typically used as a twin-aisle passenger aircraft, was purchased last month at a cost of $100m.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, shared images of the presidential jet on his verified X handle, providing the public with a glimpse of the new addition to the presidential fleet.

The images quickly gained attention, showcasing the jet’s modern features.

According to Onanuga, this new jet replaces the older Boeing B737-700(BBJ), which had been in service for 19 years since its purchase during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.

The upgrade marks a significant step in modernising the presidential fleet.

The LP spokesman, in an interview , lamented that in a country where the people were still wallowing in deep poverty, the President shouldn’t be seen purchasing a luxury jet.

Tanko said, “We thank God that the Freedom of Information Act gives the right to access some information, whether by writing or you ask directly. So every Nigerian has a right to know, apart from the constitutional right that the government must be transparent and accountable to the people.

“There are so many shady deals being done by this particular government that the people are not holding them accountable for them. The purchase of the jet is only the tip of the iceberg. In fact, we heard that the President has allegedly bought a new car for himself.

“Obviously, they are just taking care of themselves at the expense of Nigerians. In a normal setting, the National Assembly should have known about it and decided whether to approve or not. The situation we found ourselves in this country is very appalling.

“So this government has to come clean and tell Nigerians where it got the money for a $100m worth of airbus when the people are wallowing in poverty. No empathy or show of pity for the people. Can you imagine we bought fuel for use today at N970 per litre at the pump?”

Also speaking with The PUNCH, the PDP Deputy Publicity Secretary, Abdullahi, stated that the purchase of the presidential aircraft, made while Nigerians were enduring hunger and hardship, reflected the lack of seriousness of the APC-led Federal Government.

“This confirms the unseriousness and misplaced priorities of this government, which they have shown even before taking office. They have chosen to embark on goose-chasing and white elephant projects that are not in the interest of the nation.

“Despite the hardship in the country and the ongoing economic crisis, the inept APC government has remained deaf to the pleas of Nigerians, yet they proceeded to purchase another aircraft for a fleet that already includes no fewer than nine presidential aircraft.

“This is just another confirmation of the insensitivity of this government and the promotion of godlessness at the expense of the citizenry they swore to protect. We are watching, we are disturbed, and we are calling on Nigerians to take stock of all that is happening. If we do not come together to address the situation, it will be unfortunate for this country going forward,” Abdullahi said.

The PDP National Deputy Youth Leader similarly knocked the government.

Osadolor said, “This shows how insensitive the Tinubu government is. For a man who has served as both a governor and a senator, and is now the President, to engage in acts of impunity while Nigerians are suffering from economic crises and challenges, is deeply concerning. I believe it not only demonstrates insensitivity but also violates the constitutional procedures for such actions.

“If the President and his team were sensitive, they would have considered the nation’s mood and the state of the economy before engaging in this kind of frivolous and unethical purchases and practices.”

President Tinubu, alongside some of his key aides, departed Abuja for France on Monday in the new Airbus A330 business jet.

The aircraft took off at 4.08 pm at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Earlier on Monday, sources with knowledge of the President’s trip confirmed that the new aircraft landed in Abuja at 08:30 pm Sunday after a nearly five-hour flight from EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg in France.

“The plane arrived yesterday and the President will be using it to travel to France today,” said a Presidency official who asked not to be named.

On Sunday evening, a statement by Tinubu’s spokesperson, Mr. Ajuri Ngelale, announced that the President would embark on his fourth trip to the European country on Monday, August 19, departing from Abuja, the nation’s capital.

Although the Presidency did not state the purpose and duration of Mr. Tinubu’s visit, it said “The President will return to the country after his brief work stay in France.”

The modified jet is one of the three presidential aircraft recently seized by a French court in favour of a Chinese firm, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, over a dispute with the Ogun State Government.

However, on Friday, August 16, Zhongshan announced that it had decided to release one of the three presidential aircraft belonging to the Nigerian government, which had been clipped down in France.

The Chinese firm said it did so as a gesture of goodwill, referencing a scheduled meeting between President Tinubu and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron.

Zhongshan said it realised the importance of the aircraft for this diplomatic engagement and, therefore, availed the equipment for use.

The dispute came just weeks before President Tinubu’s scheduled participation at the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation holding in Beijing, China, from September 3 to 8, 2024.

In July, the new aircraft was reportedly spotted in Germany with its tail livery featuring the seal of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Valued at $100m (N150bn), it contains a bedroom, an office space and a conference and dining room and will make its maiden trip with the President aboard on Monday.

It is Tinubu’s 23rd foreign trip since assuming office about 15 months ago.

More knocks for President

Some former principal officers in the Senate also condemned the purchase of a presidential jet from the Service Wide Vote.

The former lawmakers criticised the secrecy around the Service Wide Votes.

The issue of the Presidential jet came into Public Space when the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence agreed to buy new aircraft for the President and the Vice-President as the existing presidential jets were faulty and unsafe for use.

The Senate President, GodsWill Akpabio, refuted the claims that the Red Chamber had approved the purchase of the presidential jet but said the lawmakers would not hesitate to grant their approval if the President made the request.

Akpabio said, “We care about the President and we care about the Nigerian people. We will approve things that will benefit the Nigerian people.

“We will approve things that would improve the living standard of the people. At the same time, we will also take cognizance of the duties of the President.”

“If his vehicle is bad, we will repair the vehicle. If his plane is bad, we will approve money for the repair of the plane. So, that is not an issue. There is nothing before us. I don’t think you should worry about it.”

The Presidency had earlier justified the need to buy new presidential aircraft while reacting to the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, who described the plan as misplaced and insensitive.

The Presidency described Obi’s comment as insensitive, wondering if he would rather have the life of the President jeopardised by flying faulty aircraft.

“Does he (Obi) want him (Tinubu) to continue moving around in a rickety plane and die like the VP of Malawi and Iran President? Let him tell us. This is a basic thing any sane government will do. You can’t toy with your President’s welfare,” presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said

While Nigerians awaited the presidential request for budgetary approval of the jet, the news of the purchase came to the public when Chinese firm Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Company Limited, got a French court judgment seizing the new aircraft.

Reacting to the news of the new aircraft, a former Minority leader said such a move was wrong..

The lawmaker said, “The Service Wide votes have become slush money, there’s no description as to what you can do with the money. It wasn’t right for us in such a way. It means that such money would be spent based on discretion and in Nigeria, you know what discretion means; you can decide to just pocket everything.

“Some of us decided that it wasn’t right for us to operate the votes in such a way, but you see, the hands of the lawmakers are also tied, because it is the legislature, all you can do is to suggest.

“You cannot do anything and that is the problem with all of them that are there at the Senate, it’s like state accompli and it’s not good for us as a country.

“If it’s just a few amounts that are kept there, we wouldn’t have a problem, but they keep such a humongous amount, If the President can decide to buy a jet of about $50m, you can imagine the quantum of funds is there in the Votes.”

Also, another former lawmaker, who said he wouldn’t be willing to speak so much on the issue, simply condemned the President for purchasing such outside of appropriation.

The lawmaker said, “Such an item requires appropriation; it’s not an item that should be purchased without appropriation.”

Similarly, some civil society organisations berated the Federal Government for using the Service Wide Votes to purchase a presidential jet.

In his reaction, the Chairman of the Centre for Accountability and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, said, “We suggest that the National Assembly be warned because they cannot claim that they don’t know how the process went. How long are we going to continue to run a kind of democracy that is hinged on the luxurious interests of our leaders? That does not speak well of us as a country or a democracy.”

Also, the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative and Advocacy Centre, Auwal Ibrahim Rafsanjani, noted the lack of public trust in the National Assembly, noting that the legislature had its allegiance to the President.

He said, “As far as the National Assembly is concerned, their allegiance is to the President, and they have also been singing that it is on his mandate they stand. For a National Assembly that is not able to checkmate, or at least state contrary opinions, without being punished like we’ve seen at least two of the ranking senators were, you can’t expect any of these important national issues to be considered before it is passed.”