Bola Ahmed Tinubu flew one of his private aircrafts to South Africa, where he’s currently attending the inauguration of the country’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, according to sources close to the Nigerian President.
The Nigerian leader left the country on Tuesday alongside his entourage, including the governor of Lagos state, Babajide Sanwo-olu.
The south African leader had just been elected for the second time and Tinubu is attending his inauguration ceremony as one of Africa’s prominent leaders.
The development is coming amidst the controversy surrounding the ongoing plan by the federal government to acquire new aircrafts for the Presidential Fleet.
Many Nigerians, including the 2023 Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate has criticised the plan, describing it a luxury that the country cannot afford at the moment because of current economic hardship.
The magazine reported that the National Assembly recently recommended that new aircrafts to be acquired for Tinubu, and his vice, Kassim Shetima to avoid a potential disaster as a result of faulty presidential aircrafts.
Both Tinubu and Shetima were forced to shelve their trips outside the country after the aircrafts developed mechanical faults.
The situation, sources in the Presidency said may have forced Tinubu to travel in his private aircrafts to attend the inauguration in South Africa.
The Source magazine cannot verify this claim even though one of the aircrafts the president traveled with, is a Dassault Falcon 8X aircraft.
Tinubu is believed to own three private jets, including the Dassault Falcons aircraft series, Bombadier Challenger 605, and Gulfstream G550.
Reacting to the issue on his X handle Wale Adedayo said Tinubu may have decided to travel on his private jet to ensure his safety.
Adedayo said, “So the President went to South Africa with his Private Jet against security protocol this afternoon because almost all the Presidential Jets are faulty. Man said no be me you go use do sacrifice when I have my own money.”
Obi had accused Tinubu and other government officials of living in wanton luxury while many Nigerians are neck deep in poverty.
He explained that the plan to acquire new aircrafts for the Presidency pointed to that suggestion.
Therefore, not a few Nigerians have called on President Tinubu to use his private jets, instead of buying new aircrafts from the government’s coffers, as a way of proving to them that he’s prepared to make sacrifice in the face of the current economic challenges in the country.
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