President Bola Tinubu and his delegation departed Lagos for Pretoria on Tuesday, traveling aboard two private jets to attend the inauguration of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. The entourage included Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, and other officials.
A source close to the President confirmed the use of private jets, citing the poor condition of the presidential aircraft as the reason for the switch. “They went in two private jets. The presidential jets are no longer in good shape,” the source said.
Efforts to get comments from Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, and Minister of Information, Idris Mohammed, were unsuccessful.
President Tinubu reportedly left the Presidential Wing of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, at around 11:06 am aboard a Dassault Falcon 8X aircraft. Presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale stated that Tinubu was attending Ramaphosa’s inauguration following his re-election for a second term.
This departure follows a recent response from the Presidency to criticism from Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi regarding the call for new aircraft for the presidential fleet. The House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence recently recommended purchasing new aircraft for President Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima due to the deteriorating condition of the current fleet.
Peter Obi had criticized the move on social media, highlighting the economic hardships faced by Nigerians due to government policies. In response, the Presidency, through Bayo Onanuga, labeled Obi’s comments as insensitive and emphasized the importance of the President’s safety.
Onanuga questioned Obi’s intentions, asking, “Does Peter Obi want the President dead? Is that his wish? Does he want him to continue moving around in a rickety plane and die like the VP of Malawi and Iran President? This is a basic thing any sane government will do. You can’t toy with your President’s welfare.”
