Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga clarified that President Bola Tinubu did not acquire a new official jet, as widely speculated, but instead a refurbished one, aimed at saving costs.
“It’s not President Tinubu’s plane, it belongs to the people of Nigeria, it is our property,” Onanuga noted on Channels Television’s Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-economic programme.
He explained that several jets in the presidential fleet, including a 19-year-old Boeing B737-700 purchased during ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s tenure, are now in poor condition with excessive maintenance costs.
Rather than allocate extensive funds to keep these aging planes operational, Tinubu opted for National Assembly approval to acquire a more economical, refurbished Airbus A330.
Highlighting the importance of the President’s safety, Onanuga reminded Nigerians that the newly acquired jet belongs to the country and will serve Tinubu’s successors as well.
“The president did not buy a new jet; what he has is a refurbished jet—it has been used by somebody else before he got it but it is a much newer model than the one President Buhari used. The one President Buhari used was bought by President Obasanjo some 20 years ago,” he explained.
Onanuga also pointed an instance where the President’s safety was at risk due to a malfunctioning jet during a trip to Saudi Arabia, necessitating a switch to a chartered jet to continue to the Netherlands.
“People should try to prioritise the safety of the president. I’m not sure anybody wishes our president to go and crash in the air,” he added.
The debate around Tinubu’s decision comes as many Nigerians struggle with soaring food inflation and quadrupling energy prices, with some critics arguing that the timing of the purchase appears insensitive.
However, Onanuga reiterated that the refurbished jet is a cost-effective move to avoid the high expenses associated with maintaining the older fleet.
The presidential fleet’s condition has drawn scrutiny, as evidenced in May when a faulty jet prevented Vice President Kashim Shettima from attending the 2024 US-Africa Business Summit. Additionally, last December, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) put another presidential aircraft, the Falcon 900B, up for sale.
