Activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has alleged that President Bola Tinubu has purchased a $100 million presidential jet and further investing an additional $50 million for its customisation.
Sowore made the claim via his X handle (formerly Twitter) on Monday evening.
In the post, Sowore stated, “While they are telling you to ‘exercise patience,’ @officialABAT already bought a $100m Presidential Jet and configured or reconfigured it with some $50 million and it is ready for delivery!”
He went on to describe the aircraft: “The jet is an A330-200 initially christened VP-CAC and is now registered as 5N-FGA.”
Sowore criticised the purchase, emphasising the disparity between the government’s spending and the country’s economic challenges. “This was not in the annual budget; they can’t pay minimum wage for workers but could afford $150m for a private jet. Students have to obtain loans to go to college, but they could afford to approve billions for hajj even as the money ended up being stolen.”
Concluding his statement, Sowore called for action: “Fight we MUST! #RevolutionNow.”
LEADERSHIP reported that the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence had recently recommended the purchase of new presidential jets for the use of President Tinubu and vice president Kashim Shettima as a matter of national security and interest, citing the need to prevent accidents due to technical or operational inadequacies. The lawmakers had suggested that acquiring two additional aircraft was in Nigeria’s best interest.