Politics
New Presidential Jet wasn’t approved by the National Assembly
There was no approval by the National Assembly before the procurement of the new presidential jet for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Daily Trust’s findings have revealed.
Late in June, an online news platform reported that the Nigerian government had acquired an Airbus A330 aircraft from a German bank.
According to PREMIUM TIMES, the German bank had seized the aircraft from an unnamed Arabian prince and businessman, who reportedly failed to pay hundreds of millions of dollars he owed the bank.
Officials of the Presidency, according to the online news platform, had “kept their lips shut” about the planned purchase of a new aircraft for the Presidential Air Fleet.
And since then, there has not been any official statement from the Presidency on the matter.
The actual cost of the aircraft is yet to be ascertained. A report earlier by Premium Times had said it was learnt that government was negotiating to acquire it for $100 million.l, but said it could not establish th actual price it was procured.
Speaking on the matter during a plenary session of the upper legislative chamber, however, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the request for purchase of the craft had not been tabled before the parliament, but that once done, members would consider and approve it.
“We care about the president and we care about the Nigerian people. We will approve things that will benefit the Nigerian people”, Akpabio had said then, in respect of the bid to acquire the presidential aircraft.
Akpabio, who alleged that the National Assembly was being “blackmailed” over the matter, said: “But I can tell you that when you hear stories such as the death of the vice president of Malawi as a result of a defective plane, and then the death of the president of Iran as a result of defective aircraft; we shouldn’t ever sit and allow such to be at the ocean. It wouldn’t be.
“The Senate is very responsible. The National Assembly is very responsible. We will look into issues that will benefit the governance of the country.
“Irrespective of anticipatory blackmail, because those people know very well that something like that might come in the future; and if it’s a necessity, the Senate will look into it.
“But there is nothing like that before us now”, he said pointedly.
Nothing was heard about the matter until the recent controversy broke about the seizure of three Nigerian aircraft by a Chinese firm, acting on an order of a French court.
The French court had ordered the seizure of the three jets amid a long-standing dispute between Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment and the Ogun State government, over a massive industrial park that was to be developed to attract investors.
The planes were said to be undergoing “routine maintenance” at the time of the seizure.
Meanwhile, the Chinese firm said on Friday that it had released, “as a gesture of goodwill”, the Airbus A330 for President Tinubu to travel for a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.
It was not immediately clear whether it was the same aircraft President Tinubu would use for his trip to France today.
A presidential spokesperson yesterday confirmed to Daily Trust that the new aircraft was purchased for the president.
“That is settled. Something that is now released (referring to the seized aircraft Airbus A330). If it was not purchased, how could it be withheld by the Chinese company? There’s no controversy around it. Almost everything has been concluded and it was out in the media”, the aide who declined to be named said.
On whether an approval was obtained from the National Assembly before the procurement of the presidential jet, the spokesperson said, “There was a story that the National Assembly directed that the aircraft should be procured for the President. There are a number of windows to the National Assembly.”
The government official also hinted that the aircraft could have been purchased under the Service Wide Vote, which he said, may not require the parliament’s assent.
Our National Assembly correspondents found that though the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence led by Satomi Ahmed had, earlier in June, recommended a new aircraft be procured for the president, the lawmakers did not approve it before they proceeded on their annual recess on July 23.
No approval request from the president for the procurement of a new presidential was considered on the floors of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The House of Representatives had, on July 23, passed the supplementary bill which sought to raise the 2024 Appropriation Act from N28.7 trillion to N35.06 trillion.
The chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Abubakar Bichi, who presented the harmonised joint Senate and House report on the budget, had said, “As you can see, we have passed the N6.2 trillion budget of Mr President, the budget of Renewed Nope.
“N3.2 trillion is for capital expenditure; while about N3 trillion will go to the current. And as I said last time, the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway is a critical road infrastructure that Mr President wants to actualise.”
We’re not aware of approval for new presidential jet – Lawmakers
Some lawmakers, who spoke to our reporters on condition of anonymity yesterday, said the National Assembly neither considered nor approved any request for the procurement of a presidential jet before proceeding on recess.
A credible source in the Senate said: “At no time was deal discussed at the plenary meeting. It was not tabled. But then, there is the probability that the president had sent the letter.”
Another source also said he was not aware of any approval by the Senate for the purchase of a new presidential jet.
“The last time we heard something about the new aircraft was when the Senate president, Akpabio, said no communication about it yet from the Villa, but that the National Assembly would not hesitate to approve it.
“I read it in the media that the aircraft had been purchased, and as I speak with you, no one has denied that the deal was sealed,” he said.
A member of the House of Representatives also told Daily Trust yesterday that no correspondence from the president was presented to them about the purchase of a new aircraft for the president.
He said: “We’ve not seen anything in the main budget or the supplementary budget about the purchase of a new presidential aircraft. Another thing is that, there is no detail of the supplementary budget passed. So, we don’t know whether it is in the 2024 supplementary budget because we have not been availed with the detailed breakdown. It was presented as a lump sum.
“We don’t know about the purchase of the aircraft because it was not presented to us and we have not seen any details about it. So, we cannot say anything. So, I won’t have any comments until I see the details”.
It can’t be true – NSA’s spokesman
When contacted on telephone last night, the spokesman of the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Zakari Mijinyawa, told one of our reporters that it could not be true that the new presidential plane was purchased without an approval of the National Assembly.
“It cannot be true. This is the time I am hearing this whether in government or outside government,” he said.
Later in a telephone call to Daily Trust, Mijinyawa said he was informed by someone “within the system” that the purchase by captured in the Service Wide Vote.
Daily Trust
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
Ahead of the 2027 National Assembly elections, a mass protest voting movement may be building up in Anambra South Senatorial District, following reported moves by members of major political parties to support the candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Chief Ebuka Onunkwo.
The development is said to be linked to grievances among some members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and remnants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the treatment allegedly meted out to Onunkwo during previous political contests.
Onunkwo, who had previously contested the Anambra South senatorial seat under APGA, later emerged as the NDC candidate for the 2027 election.
Although the ADC is currently embroiled in legal disputes over the authentic candidates and the conduct of its primary elections, some members of the APC and APGA are also reportedly dissatisfied with developments within their respective parties.
It was gathered that a section of APGA members, in particular, are backing Onunkwo as a form of protest over the conduct of the party’s senatorial primary, while some members of other parties are also believed to be considering voting for him irrespective of their party affiliations.
Confirming the growing support for Onunkwo, the Chief Executive Officer of NOWAS Oil and Gas Limited and a major stakeholder in Anambra South politics, Chief Ignesus Ikechukwudere Nnubia, said the NDC candidate currently enjoys widespread acceptability across party lines.
Nnubia said the growing support for Onunkwo had made his party affiliation less significant, arguing that voters would ultimately vote according to their conscience and assessment of the candidates.
He said, “At the moment, the number of APGA members with him and supporting him makes one wonder what is left of that party. Even the remnants of the PDP have pitched their tents with him, while members of the ruling APC at the national level are also behind him.
“So, the party that he belongs to is not a factor at all. You know that it is a game of numbers, and people are going to vote according to their conscience and not necessarily because of the political party they belong to.
“People are not bound to vote for their party, and some of them are ready and willing to vote for him.
“We are not talking about the party because he will surely get votes from the NDC, APGA, APC and even other political parties that are already closing ranks to support him as their candidate.”
Nnubia further described Onunkwo as the candidate currently standing tall among the contenders for the Anambra South senatorial seat, expressing confidence that his emergence would usher in what he described as a “new dawn” for the district.
He said political parties should not be the major consideration for voters, stressing that what matters most is the ability of elected representatives to improve the lives of their constituents.
According to him, political parties exist because of the people, and therefore the influence of party structures and incumbency has its limits during elections.
Nnubia said those factors would ultimately be tested by the electorate in the 2027 election, which he described as a contest in which voters’ choices would determine the outcome.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the 2027 Ebonyi State election, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, has pledged to attract more than ₦2 trillion in private-sector investment to the state within six months of assuming office if elected.
Odii made the pledge while addressing supporters in Lagos ahead of the formal commencement of his campaign.
He said his investment strategy would cover key sectors of the Ebonyi economy, including mining, hospitality, real estate and manufacturing.
According to the PDP candidate, he has identified more than 2,000 prospective investors, each capable of investing about ₦1 billion in the state.
“I have over 2,000 people who can invest ₦1 billion each. When you multiply it, you will get over ₦2 trillion. This has been structured in such a way that all aspects of the economy will be involved,” Odii said.
He said the proposed investment drive was designed not only to inject capital into the state but also to create jobs, expand the productive base of the economy and provide opportunities for young people and entrepreneurs.
Odii said Ebonyi’s natural resources and strategic location placed it in a strong position to attract large-scale investments if its economic potential was properly harnessed.
He promised that his administration would prioritise private-sector participation, industrialisation and job creation while creating an enabling environment for both local and foreign investors.
The candidate also said existing businesses in the state would be supported to expand, while new investors would be encouraged to establish operations across various sectors.
His pledge comes amid growing political activities ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with economic development, employment generation and wealth creation featuring prominently in his campaign message.
The proposed ₦2 trillion investment target within six months, if achieved, would represent a significant boost to Ebonyi’s economy and rank among the most ambitious private-sector investment mobilisation plans proposed in the state.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The planned visit of the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to Anambra State has sparked controversy following a protest by the state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Emma Anosike, that the party was not informed about the visit.
Anosike said the APC in Anambra was never consulted or briefed about the proposed visit, adding that the party was taken aback by reports that the wife of the party’s national leader and presidential candidate, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, would be visiting the state without recourse to the state chapter.
He said, “It is indeed strange that the First Lady of our presidential candidate is visiting Anambra State without recourse to the party in the state.
“The party wishes to state categorically that we are not part of the arrangements for the reception of our First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, because the party was never put in the picture.”
Anosike also dismissed the mantra that “The Progressives Are Working Together”, being canvassed by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), describing it as a smokescreen by the ruling party in Anambra to hijack President Tinubu’s re-election from the APC.
He said, “For instance, the APGA-led government in Anambra State did not interface with us on the organisation of the visit, and the party wonders if the progressives are indeed working together.”
The APC chairman, however, said the development would not compromise the First Lady’s visit, urging all APC members and supporters in the state to turn out and give Senator Oluremi Tinubu a warm welcome.
He stressed that despite the party’s reservations over the arrangements, APC members remained committed to welcoming the First Lady to Anambra State.
Former Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, Sagir Saleh, has resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Saleh, who served as deputy governor under former Governor Isa Yuguda, announced his resignation in a letter submitted to the party leadership in Katagum Local Government Area.
He cited personal reasons for his decision but did not provide further details.
His exit comes amid growing disagreements within the Bauchi APC following the party’s 2027 governorship primary. Other prominent members, including former governorship aspirant Bala Jibrin and Sunusi Kunde, an associate of Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, have also reportedly left the party.
Jibrin, a former National Auditor of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), resigned on August 31, 2026, following his opposition to the emergence of former Bauchi Governor Muhammad Abubakar as the APC’s 2027 governorship candidate.
He had criticised the primary process and questioned how the candidate emerged.
Kunde also resigned from the APC in August, submitting his resignation to the party chairman of Beti Ward in Misau Local Government Area.
The latest departures are coming as efforts continue to resolve internal disputes and disagreements among APC members in the state.
The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has raised the alarm over an alleged plot to assassinate former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 general election.
Ayodele issued the warning in a video shared on his verified X account on Sunday, urging both opposition figures to strengthen their security and remain vigilant.
The cleric did not identify those allegedly behind the purported plot but claimed that attempts were being made to eliminate Obi and Atiku.
According to him, divine intervention would prevent the alleged plan from succeeding.
“Obi and Atiku, be very conscious of your security. They are looking for any means to eliminate Obi and Atiku.
“But God will never allow it to happen. Watch out and be cautious about your security,” he said.
Ayodele also urged President Bola Tinubu to reconsider travelling to the United States, alleging that there were forces in America working against his political fortunes.
The claims come as political activities and realignments intensify ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
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