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I’m committed, focused on capacity to govern Enugu — Dr Jeff Nnamani
Dr. Jeff Nnamani who hails from Agbani in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State is in the race for the State’s 2023 Governorship Election as an aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). He fielded questions on sundry issues of importance to both the State and the nation in general. Excerpts…
Generally, you are perceived as a new player in the Enugu State political field. How correct is that perception and what does it imply for your current aspiration?
Really, I doubt if there is any political player of note in the State since 1999 to date that will tell you that Jeff Nnamani is unknown though I have, as a matter of principle, deliberately refrained from partisan politics until now. My coming on to the field now to vie for public office is equally deliberate. For so long, the state has been badly run. And I have come to the realization that most of those we have trusted in the past to lead our state have wrongly construed the meaning and implementation of what public service entails.
You said most of the Leaders the State has had since 1999 have wrong impression of what Public Service entails. Could you explain this opinion of yours better?
Unfortunately, Enugu State, in the last 23 years, has not been led well along the modern ethos of public service. How you serve people is different from people serving you; so that’s exactly why I decided to come and serve.
We want to bring in new era of governance. The old way is personal wealth acquisition using the instrument and facilities of State, and this old way is selfish. It is why our State has had arrested development while a callous and selfish set of government-facilitated power mongers have been holding the state down and keeping the people poor and subjugated. So, it is the need to do things differently and institutionalize a new approach to public service that’s making me offer myself in service.
So, in a nutshell, what is your mission?
My mission is to liberate Enugu state from the hands of people who believe that politics or power belongs to them because power truly belongs to the electorates, not the elected.
I need to let Ndi Enugu understand that our state needs to be rescued from sliding any further. There is massive youth unemployment, decaying infrastructure and despondency all over the state but those in power are amassing unbelievable wealth by diverting state resources.
But why is it taking you this long to come out with this Liberation Agenda?
I wouldn’t say it has taken too long. Rather, I would like to believe that we are coming at the right time, after having watched the players on the scene over an appreciable length of time and realized that none of them has the capacity to bring anything new and progressive to bear on the state. I am led to embrace my current mission because the end of the current governance culture is not looking good for the future of Enugu State that we desire collectively. For instance, the youths are getting more agitated. Government has failed them woefully. We are in the 21st century and people are getting wiser; the world is just a global market place now, so you cannot keep on personalizing government and think that it will continue forever. After a while, people will start asking questions and the consequence may not be good for all.
For me, this is the best time to let Enugu people know that there’s a better way to serve them, and this better way to serve them is that the leader has to be seen as the number one servant of the state.
What major ills of government of the day have you identified that require urgent corrections?
Governance in the state has for too long been run top to bottom with the leaders treating the people as beggars. The government has not been a listening government. Most of the things that made Enugu great in the 70s and 80s have been destroyed – the factories, the enterprising spirit of commerce, health facilities and many others. The last industrialization of the state was in the 80s and it was done by a man called Jim Nwobodo who is still alive. All investments that we are talking about today that’s moribund was done by him. The roads, health facilities, vibrancy of the civil service and so on have all been destroyed in the last 23 years of PDP in the state. Even at the local government level, it is pathetic. The most important tier of democracy is the local government; if you cannot empower the local government very well, liaise with them, follow their projects that benefit the people, then you are killing democracy.
What I am saying is that the resources that come into and from Enugu state must be prudently used for the betterment of the people. The people are being punished unnecessarily because people in government have failed to devise sound policies on strategic resource investment, deployment and management. 2023 is the right time to redefine public service to reflect the fact that when you talk about public service, you have to live life with integrity and accountability because you can never live above the people you serve.
Your campaign theme, and the brand identity you’ve been projecting so far have two concepts- 042 original and O be go. What do these two concepts mean and what do you want to give to the people through the concepts to answer their yearnings for good governance?
First of all, 042, on the surface, is a social identity of Enugu state. So, each time we refer to ourselves as 042, we believe we are passionate about it because we grew up in Enugu, we saw the good life in Enugu. We are proud Enugu people, and seeing Enugu deteriorate gradually to the point it is now, we have chosen to re-awaken our sense of pride and dignity. Look at Ebonyi and Anambra that were created out of the old Enugu State with 042 as the capital then; they are progressing while Enugu has been put in a retrogressive mode. So, the concept of me picking 042 original, I added the original because I’m an original 042, is to signal the resolve to rescue and restore Enugu to its original state of excellence.
And, what does O be go stand for?
O be go means it is over; it is enough; it has ended. So, when I say O be go, it means that whatever that is our problem in governance has ended. So, misrule has ended, mis-governance has ended, imposition has ended, embezzlement has ended, everything in Enugu that is bad has ended. However, it is only the ones that are bad that have ended, any other thing that is good will continue. So that’s why I say O Be Go, your yearnings have been heard. I’m coming out to ensure that all your yearnings will be answered to. O Be Go, it is time, enough of what is happening. So we can move forward to the future of Enugu state.
There is a growing call in the state that zoning should be respected in the choice of the next governor in 2023. What is your take on the idea of Zoning?
To be truthful, zoning has been okay for Enugu state people and anybody who is saying there should be no zoning is just trying to project a selfish idea. It has contributed tremendously to making the state relatively peaceful. In actual fact, if it wasn’t the turn of Enugu East where I come from, I would have tried to look for and support another like-minded aspirant with burning desire to drive this Liberation project.
But, there are those who argue that Zoning does not encourage competence…
Yes, I recognise there is a bit of a disadvantage to the State in the way the ruling party has corrupted the noble idea of Zoning which all well-meaning Enugu people love and embrace. That is why I cannot be in the party in government today because I have a different mindset that does not fit into their template of governance. I don’t believe that we should have one party in Enugu state. Competition brings results and where there’s no competition, it brings lethargy, meaning nobody is answerable to anybody. Once you come in, there’s a parlance they use in the ruling party, OJEBEGO and they have tried to impose it on the entire state. It means, it is gone so, even if the people have no trust in you but the party leadership and its caucus have anointed and selected you, they give it to you. So, if the people didn’t give you power, you can’t be answerable to them. That’s exactly why succession planning gotten wrong can also give you a bad result.
Zoning is good enough, but in the zoning, it’s not everybody that’s innately called to serve. We must separate those who love to use Zoning to oppress the people and those who genuinely embrace the idea because of pure public service. People who believe that they have to use public funds as if it is theirs, they are not innately called to serve.
There is also the view by some of the leaders in the state that the sitting governor has the right to pick his successor. How true is that and what’s your take on this view?
For me, it is a sign of impunity taken too far, and it’s because of the ruling party’s disrespect for the people, especially their democratic rights. If you’re a political party and you have your internal arrangement to impose candidates on your party members, it’s fine by you. But remember, when it comes to the polity itself, where you have other parties, where you have people who are independent minded, where you have people who want to vote for a very good candidate, you don’t tell them that the governor has a right to pick his successor. It is in bad taste and undemocratic.
The generality of Ndi Enugu abhor it. You can’t impose somebody on an entire state and tell me to vote that person because that is the person the governor brings. No, that’s not democracy, that’s not the politics we want to play. That’s why we in APGA are saying bring it on, just bring a candidate, let’s get to the field, and let’s subject ourselves to the people because the people have the right to ask what you want to do for them through the office you are vying for.
Why did you pitch your tent with APGA and not with the PDP or APC?
The decision was very simple and easy for me to make. When you try to change the mindset of some people towards public service, towards sacrifice and the best way to rule people, but you find out that it is highly impossible to do so on certain popular platforms based on some people using succession plan, based on expectations on succession plan, you can’t play in that field. In some of the so-called political parties, everybody believes money is the most important thing needed to become a leader. These leaders with money whose source of money cannot be cleanly explained are the same people who call themselves core politicians but they disregard the power of the people. You can be very rich, you can acquire all what you want to acquire personally but in the long run, it’s not service. And there’s no way I can get involved with such people, given my orientation and personal character. For me, what we are saying is we have to move from the level of personal wealth acquisition in governance to public service and public wealth creation and management. Ten people’s wealth is bigger than one man’s wealth.
So, you are saying APGA is better?
Sincerely, I believe that APGA resonates what governance is supposed to be; because after reading APGA’s constitution, I felt that this party can listen to the grassroots. They can govern very well; there will be accountability in this party; there will be integrity in this party; this party has a character of saying no, this is our pride, this is how we want to do this; and this party is starting from bottom to top. Taking all the foregoing together, I had no hesitation registering to be an APGA member; and in my time in APGA, I am happy to say the structure and culture have re-enforced the belief that we will try to play the politics of service, try to play the politics of respect for the people who vote. APGA believes that if people have trusted you to serve them, you have to serve them. You have to show what it is to be the number one servant of the state. I am totally at home with the ideology.
You said something earlier about government being a continuum. However, there is growing public outcry about the issue of public debt, especially debts being piled up by state governors. What’s your take on public debts, especially by state governors?
I think states borrowing is, in itself, not a bad thing. The issue is what are the debts for? Like I said, governance is a continuum, it’s a continuity of investment. If for instance, I’ve invested 400 billion, and I borrowed the money anyway and I invested it for my state and by the time I’m handing over there’s a debt of 250 billion left from what we have borrowed, I should be in the position to let the incoming governor see the debt profile and how we are paying these debts, and the investment we have made with the debt. If you have done that, reasonably the facts will speak for themselves.
A state is a consortium. It has to move on, everything you are doing is on behalf of the people, so the people must give you the power to do it. Your house of assembly must give you the power to borrow, and when you’re going to borrow, the people must also accept. And that’s why I keep on talking about letting people know what you want to do for them or asking them where are we? Or what are your needs? If we follow that process, then we will move as we should. That’s basically how to let people know that whatever you’re doing, they are part of it.
You came out ahead of other people in your party as the first person that the people of Enugu state heard to be interested in the governorship race on the platform of APGA. But after you, your party seems to be having influx. What stands you out amongst all the APGA aspirants today?
The good thing about the scenario you mentioned is that it is a very good revelation. I mean the revelation that in any political dispensation, there will always be political jobbers and genuine people who share the aspirations and yearnings of the masses. The field welcomes all, including those looking for opportunities to play politics to see what they can get personally and not to serve the people. For me, I joined the APGA party before the local government election because I knew it was the right time to join the party. Together with loyal APGA members all over the state, we did all we had to do to compete in the local government election. I knew the party needed muscle then. And I offered myself to team up with the party at that demanding time because I believe greatly in the ideology of the party. By the grace of God, it was a good outing for the party, regardless of what the ruling party and the electoral umpire connived to do. To me, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that we have tested the ground and we know that we are on ground. We know that people are actually queuing up behind APGA and that gives us so much joy. So, if after that positive outing of the party, other people start joining the stage, for me, the bigger, the merrier.
Are you saying the sudden influx of members of other parties defecting to APGA to declare governorship ambition does not affect you?
I am a disciplined, committed and focused person with great capacity to remain on track once I am convinced it is the right way to go. I don’t allow distractions into my life. The project I am pursuing is about the people and the future of a state I love dearly. It is not about my person because, by the grace of God, I am eminently contented with what God has made of me materially, professionally and even, spiritually. There are some people joining the party now and we know their plans are not in the interest of progress for the state. Some want to scuttle APGA; they want APGA to remain unseen. They want APGA not to have viable candidates to campaign, they want APGA to become part of a one party state. So these are the plans we know some have and these are the plans we learnt they’ve been having towards this particular party for some time. To those people, my advice is that this has to stop. You are doing a disservice to the founding fathers of APGA and to the thousands of loyal members who have built the party over the years with their resources, sweat and blood. You are doing a disservice to the average Igbo man. You are doing a disservice to our future generations to come because you have to bequeath alternatives for your children to pick from. If you don’t have alternatives, then it is about enabling a one man autocratic movement, and that is not democracy.
Anambra is Enugu’s neighbor and an APGA state. Any correlation between your dream and what is going on in Anambra now?
If a governor of APGA extraction assumes office in Enugu, the state will not remain as it is now. Just look at Anambra, watch the developmental performance of Anambra since it has been with APGA, starting with Peter Obi. It’s been fantastic. Go to Anambra, they are moving like lightening but Enugu is not moving that way because Anambra will have elections, you will see PDP, you will see LP and other parties competing. This is where democracy is being enjoyed. In Enugu, I do not see why somebody cannot criticize a sitting government. They are doing so much to tie down the state as a one party fiefdom. Competition and customer feedback are being destroyed by the party in power. And, if you don’t want to accept criticism, which is what we call customer feedback, you cannot improve.
For the first time since 1999, APGA fielded candidates in an election in all the 17 Local Government Areas of Enugu State without stepping down but actually going as far as contesting. What does that tell for 2023 and what went into achieving that feat in the February 23rd Local Government election?
Really, APGA has contested elections very well in the past and it was a very keen contest. I think it was after that election that the PDP perfected the wicked strategy of killing APGA. So, they infiltrated the party and made sure that come whatever, the APGA party will not see the light of the day. But, now we are coming back to say no, we have to make sure that this party is fully on ground; in the 260 wards of the state, the 17 local governments, everything. We have to have the structures put back in place, and we will nurture these structures with commitment. The APGA leadership, especially the current EXCO, have shown great bravery and commitment to the party ideals. So also the people at both ward and local government levels. And I am optimistic that we will all keep up this new found spirit of resilience. APGA needs to give the people an alternative voice. People are suffering, they don’t have alternative voice. Everything PDP gives Enugu state today, is as good as done; whether the people like, or they don’t like. People are not happy, but the ruling party doesn’t know or doesn’t care that people are not happy.
For the presidency, there is also agitations that it is the turn of the southeast. What’s your take on that?
If everyone is saying it is the turn of the southeast, we actually merit it. But the problem is, are the political parties sincere with keeping to the terms of agreements?
For the sake of the peace, unity and progress of the country, the political parties, if they are very sincere that it is the turn of the Igbos to bring a president, should all present presidential candidates from the Eastern part of the country and then let the candidates campaign across the whole country for the best to be chosen by the people. If we all agree it’s the turn of the Igbos, let’s see it at the primaries.
Finally, what other message do you have for your followers, for your party people and for Enugu citizens in general?
The power of a nation or a state is in the youths. So, the human capital development programme we want to put in place will see our young people aspiring to be the best they can be in every facet of life. Our socio-economic blueprint is detailed about what we have to do to harness our state’s talents and resources to ensure that our people live the quality life befitting the 21st century. So, I am praying that God will help our people to change their mindset to see that this N2,000, N3,000 crumbs the wicked politicians give to them to buy their votes is man’s inhumanity to man and wickedness of the highest order.
I wish the youths, the women, the retirees and the eligible voters, especially all Ndi Enugu who are above the age of 18 years could imagine the future and what we have in mind for them. Unfortunately, it’s only God that can direct people, and I’m praying to God to direct them to have the wisdom to listen and act right, for the sake of the future generation. It is unfortunate that our people have been impoverished to the extent that they see nothing wrong in worshipping money that comes from anywhere. But I wish they would trust us with regard to our plans, so we can bring out the best in every and all Ndi Enugu, starting from the youths.
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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi on Thursday submitted their nomination forms at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
Atiku, in a post on his X handle on Thursday, said his presidential bid represents a broader movement aimed at restoring national prosperity and rebuilding Nigeria.
Amaechi, on his part, pledged to turn the country around within four years if elected, arguing that competence, experience and performance—not ethnicity or political sentiment—should determine the 2027 contest.
Their declarations come as the ADC continues to attract high-profile politicians ahead of the next general elections, amid intensifying political realignments across the country.
Speaking after submitting his form at the ADC national headquarters in Abuja, Atiku wrote, “The march to restore prosperity and better days to our beloved nation took a firm and decisive step forward today at the national secretariat of our great party, the African Democratic Congress.”
The former vice president said the movement transcended politics and was focused on national renewal and hope.
“This is more than a political journey; it is a national movement rooted in hope, renewal, and the collective resolve to save Nigeria from despair,” he stated.
He also called on Nigerians across ethnic, religious and regional divides to support the movement.
“I call on all Nigerians, regardless of region, faith, or background, to join us in this noble cause. Together, we will restore the promise of our nation and bring good times back again,” he added.
On his part, Amaechi pledged to transform Nigeria within four years if elected in the 2027 general election.
Amaechi made the promise shortly after submitting his nomination forms, where he also took a swipe at the administration of President Bola Tinubu, blaming it for the country’s worsening economic hardship.
The former Rivers State governor said the 2027 election should be based on competence, experience and performance rather than ethnic or regional sentiments.
“What Nigerians should do is assess all of us who are running for office based on our records.
“Nearly everybody who is running for the office of the president has served Nigeria in one way or another. Let this be a referendum. If you have performed, whoever has outperformed the other, vote for the person,” he said.
Amaechi argued that his years in public office had prepared him for the task of leading the country, citing his tenure as governor and later as Minister of Transportation under the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The next thing is, who is capable of delivering the votes? Who is capable of beating the incumbent? Who has the experience? I believe I am the most experienced.
“I am young, I am the most experienced, and I believe I have the capacity.
“Go back to Rivers State and see what I have done. Go back to the Ministry of Transportation and see what I have done, and assess it and see whether I can turn the country around. And I will, in four years, turn the country around,” he declared.
Amaechi, who served as governor of Rivers State from 2007 to 2015, was a key figure in the formation of the All Progressives Congress and later served as Director-General of President Buhari’s 2015 campaign.
As Minister of Transportation between 2015 and 2023, he oversaw major railway projects, including the Abuja-Kaduna and Lagos-Ibadan rail lines, although critics questioned the rising debt associated with some of the infrastructure projects.
Speaking on the state of the nation, the former minister criticised what he described as the growing hardship under the Tinubu administration, saying Nigerians were bearing the brunt of economic policies that had worsened living conditions.
“Nigerians should vote for merit, not vote for those who say, ‘I’m from this place’ or ‘it is our turn.’
“It is the ‘Emilokan’ mentality that brought us here. It is our turn that brought us here. Now Nigerians are suffering,” he said.
By Okey Maduforo Awka
Movement For Actualization Of A Sovereign State Of Biafra (MASSOB) has declared May 30th Biafran Day celebration stating that the Sit-At-Home Order is voluntary for all Biafrans .
This year’s celebration is to mark the 59th year anniversary of Biafra declaration by General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu on 30th May, 1967
According to the Spokesman of MASSOB Comrade Edeson Samuel nobody is going to be forced to observe the Sit At Home Order adding that it is optional to all Biafrans.
“MASSOB in the spirit of true Biafrans and brotherhood among Biafra agitators and Biafrans in general have declared 2026 commemoration of Biafra Anniversary ceremony with sit at home exercise in Biafra land for sober reflection”
“MASSOB declares that all markets, public, private motor parks, schools, banks, and other public business premises shall remain closed from 6 am to 4 pm on 30th May, 2026”
“It is a mark of appreciation and acknowledgement of the numerous sacrifices and prices our fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters rendered for Biafra during the three years war of genocide against Biafra by the British backed Nigeria”.
The body further recognizes the contributions of the leader of Indigenous People Of Biafra IPOB Mazi Nnamdi Kanu towards the Biafran emancipation demanding for his unconditional release.
“MASSOB is also using the Biafra declaration anniversary to show solidarity to our brother, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who is wrongly imprisoned for the sake of Biafra”
“We demand his immediate release and call for justice for all Biafrans who have been unjustly detained or persecuted”
Edeson further reiterated that the celebration is annual activity that has never been a threat to security law and order noting that it has already been non violent.
“The call for stay at home has been our annual and recalling measures and steps for effective civil disobedience ceremonial exercise”
“MASSOB reminds the people of Biafra that this exercise has always been the life wire of the Biafran struggle which boomed the potency and acceptability of the non violence Biafra self determination struggle.
“The request for closure of Markets, public/private motor parks, schools and other public business premises is a one day mandatory exercise that Biafrans shall stand, it is a mark of respect and love for our fatherland.
“Biafrans shall not be compelled, pressurized or forced to observe the stay at home exercise.
“MASSOB and other pro Biafra agitators will not molest, compel or intimidate anybody to observe the stay at home exercise as all our members shall stay indoors in observance of the great day of Biafra.”
“There shall be no physical demonstration, street march, procession or any other public functions in Biafra land on May 30th 2026”
The body stated that it is aware that there would be heavy presence of security operatives urging Biafrans to conduct themselves well and peaceful in order not to engage themselves is a senseless face off with the personnel .
“MASSOB knows that there will be heavy presence of armed Nigeria Army, Mobile police, DSS operatives and Civil Defence in major cities of Biafra land during our annual Biafra Day Anniversary Celebration”
“They are all signs of jittery, fear and cowardice of Nigeria state over Biafra”
“No amount of security intimidation, mesmerization, killings, detention, oppression, incarceration etc will ever stop the will power of an indigenous people for self determination. the use of force can never stop the inflow of the spirit of Biafra” he said.
By Okey Maduforo Awka
The Igbo Community Association FCT and the Ohaneze Ndigbo have commenced massive mobilization of over 1.2 million Igbo residents living within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to participate in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
The mobilization is targeted at ensuring that eligible Igbo citizens utilize the registration window opened by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), running from May 11 to July 10.
The association strongly warned against voter apathy, urging the 1.2 million Igbo residents in Abuja to arm themselves with their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) as a critical tool for political representation and socio-economic survival.
“Today, the most powerful weapon in the hands of the Igbo person is the PVC and the absolute ability to vote on election day. Our PVC is the new ‘Ogbunigwe’—the ultimate defensive tool for our future”
According to the duo of it’s President General Engr Ikenna- Elis Ezenekwe and the Secretary General Mazi Chinwoke Onah ;
“We will no longer be fooled by reckless calls to boycott elections or abstain from registration; doing so is simply shooting ourselves in the foot.”
The leadership emphasized that Ndigbo represents a massive, foundational voting bloc across Nigeria.
The group noted that any upcoming national demographic census tracking tribal distribution will firmly validate that the 1.2 million Igbo residents and the broader Igbo populace constitute the largest voting bloc in Nigeria.
To ensure the success of this mobilization grid, the association is making a direct appeal to major political stakeholders and leaders of Igbo extraction resident in Abuja.
Specifically, the group called on Hon. Ben Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, to lead the cause of getting the Igbo political leaders in Abuja to join this very important exercise.
Continuing the Association noted that;
“To eliminate barriers to registration, the Igbo Community Association FCT is establishing localized assistance centers and a dedicated citizen helpline”
“The 1.2 million Igbo residents who require support with online pre-registrations, biometric capture locations, profile corrections, or PVC transfers are urged to reach out immediately”
The Igbo Community Association FCT is the apex socio-cultural body representing the interests, welfare, and cultural heritage of over 1.2 million Igbo residents living within Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory. The association works in tandem with national bodies like Ohanaeze Ndigbo to promote unity, civic responsibility, and progressive representation for Ndigbo on the national stage.
Findings m also revealed that the disbursements, made into the Presidential Air Fleet naira transit account operated by the Presidential Air Fleets (State House), were recorded in eight separate transactions across three months of June, July and December 2025, with the bulk of the transfers concentrated in July, when four transactions totalling N2.43bn were made in the space of a week.
A breakdown of the transactions shows that N1.285bn was disbursed on June 12, followed by N430m on July 24, N1.28bn on July 25, N92m on July 29, and N626m on July 31.
In December, three further disbursements were recorded. They include N9m on December 18, described in the GovSpend database as “Presidential Air Fleet forex transit funds,” N343.9m on December 30 and N90.9m on December 31.
Four of the eight transactions carry no accompanying description, listed simply as “None,” a pattern consistent with previous disbursements to the transit account.
Most disbursements to the Presidential Air Fleet transit account are labelled “Forex Transit Funds,” typically funds allocated for foreign exchange requirements to facilitate international transactions, covering expenses related to operations outside the country, including fuel purchases, maintenance or services in foreign currencies.
The new figures add to a growing cumulative spend that has accelerated significantly since Tinubu assumed office.
At least N26.38bn was spent on the operations of the Presidential Air Fleet from July 2023 to December 2024, with N14.15bn disbursed in 2024 alone.
The Presidential Air Fleet’s total budget allocation stood at N17.32bn in 2025, declining to N14.70bn in 2026.
The reduction was driven mainly by decreased capital expenditure.
Engine overhaul projects across the fleet consumed N4.58bn in 2024, N8.65bn in 2025 and N6.05bn in 2026, bringing the three-year aggregate to N19.27bn.
Since 2017, under the Buhari administration, budgetary allocations for the fleet have shown a growing trend, with one exception in 2020, rising from N4.37bn in 2017 to N20.52bn in 2024, a 370 per cent increase in running costs over seven years.
In an interview with our correspondent, the General Secretary of the Aviation Round Table, Olumide Ohunayo, had blamed the meteoric rise on the age of some of the aircraft in the fleet and the declining value of the naira, as well as the “commercial use” of aircraft by the Nigerian Air Force.
Ohunayo explained, “The cost will definitely increase over the years because, for one, this issue of the naira against the dollar.
“As the naira keeps falling to the dollar, we will see a rise in cost because most of the costs of training crew and engineers and replacing aircraft parts are all in dollars.
“Also, some of these aircraft are not new. The older the aircraft, the higher the cost of maintenance and operation.
“Lastly, during these past years, terrorism and insecurity have increased in Nigeria, which has also affected the cost of insuring the aircraft.”
The episode had prompted the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence to recommend the procurement of two new presidential aircraft.
In August 2024, the official Boeing 737 business jet for the President was replaced with an Airbus A330 purchased for $100m through service-wide votes.
The nearly 15-year-old plane, an ACJ330-200, VP-CAC (MSN 1053), is “spacious and furnished with state-of-the-art avionics, customised interior and communications system,” Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, said, adding “it will save Nigeria huge maintenance and fuel costs, running into millions of dollars yearly.”
From February through July 2025, the President flew a San Marino-registered BBJ (REG: T7-NAS).
Sources who spoke to one of our correspondents confirmed that the primary aircraft had been flown to South Africa to change its colours to reflect the office of the President. It was flown back in July 2025.
The Presidential Air Fleet comprises a fixed-wing fleet that includes the Airbus ACJ330-200, a Gulfstream G550, a Gulfstream G500, two Falcon 7Xs, a Hawker 4000 and a Challenger 605, three of which are reportedly unserviceable.
The rotor-wing fleet includes two Agusta 139s and two Agusta 101s, operated by the Nigerian Air Force under the supervision of the Office of the National Security Adviser.
The CEO of Centurion Security Limited, John Ojikutu, argued that the disbursements for the air fleet operations were justified considering all related expenses.
“That’s not a big deal. If they are going for repair, particularly for C-checks. It’s always around that range.
“They will fly it abroad, buy fuel, catering, and hotel bills are also involved; pilots will fly it back, and the figure likely includes far more than the direct cost of repairing the aircraft,” Ojikutu explained, adding that the figure likely includes far more than the direct cost of operating the aircraft.
The Presidency did not respond to inquiries on the nature of the specific disbursements captured in the recent data.
As of the time of filing this report, calls to the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, went unanswered.
In an earlier interview with our correspondent, Onanuga had argued that the costs of maintaining the air fleet are not for the President but in the interest of Nigerians.
“It’s not President Tinubu’s plane; it belongs to the people of Nigeria, it is our property…the President did not buy a new jet; what he has is a refurbished jet, but it is a much newer model than the one President Buhari used.
“Nigerians should try to prioritise the safety of the President. I’m not sure anybody wishes our President to go and crash in the air.
“We want his safety so that he can hand it over to whoever wants to take over from him,” Onanuga said.
Source: PUNCH
President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has revealed that the company rejected attempts by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to increase its 7.25 per cent stake in the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
Dangote disclosed this during an interview with Nicolai Tangen, stating that the decision was taken because the refinery plans to go public and allow more Nigerians to own shares in the facility.
According to him, the national oil company had sought to acquire additional equity in the multi-billion-dollar refinery, but the proposal was turned down.
“We are the ones that said no; we want to now spread it and have everybody be part of it,” Dangote said.
The refinery, located in Lekki, Lagos, is valued at about $20bn. In 2021, NNPC acquired a 7.25 per cent stake in the plant for $1bn, with an option to increase its ownership to 20 per cent by June 2024. However, the company later decided against purchasing the remaining shares.
Dangote had earlier clarified in 2024 that the NNPC’s actual ownership in the refinery was 7.2 per cent and not the widely reported 20 per cent, explaining that the oil company failed to pay the balance required under the agreement.
“The agreement was actually 20 per cent, which we had with NNPC, and they did not pay the balance of the money up until last year,” he had said.
Dangote also identified government policy inconsistency as one of the biggest risks facing businesses in Nigeria, alongside the possibility of civil unrest.
“The other biggest risk is government inconsistencies in policies,” he stated.
Findings further showed that petrol supply from the refinery rose significantly in the first quarter of 2026, reaching about 3.18 billion litres, while fuel imports dropped sharply to 965.52 million litres within the same period.
The average domestic ex-depot petrol price from the refinery between January and March 2026 stood at about ₦1,000 per litre, indicating that the refinery supplied over ₦3.2tn worth of petrol into the Nigerian market during the review period.
The refinery has also reportedly benefited from rising global tensions involving the United States and Iran, with disruptions in the oil market boosting exports of refined petroleum products.
Speaking on the company’s investment strategy, Dangote said future investors in the group’s businesses, including cement, petrochemicals, fertiliser and refining, would receive dividends in dollars because most of the company’s revenue now comes from exports.
“What we are announcing is that when you invest in any of our businesses going forward, we guarantee to pay you a dividend in dollars because we are very well into exports. Eighty per cent of our revenue will be in dollars,” he said.
Dangote also recounted how he sold his luxury properties in the United States and the United Kingdom to focus fully on industrial development in Nigeria.
“When I decided to go into the industry, I sold all my properties in the US and the UK. I wanted to really sit in Nigeria and concentrate,” he said.
He explained that his business philosophy is driven by identifying products Nigerians heavily import and producing them locally through backward integration.
According to him, the refinery project received financial backing from several institutions, including Afreximbank, Africa Finance Corporation, Zenith Bank, Access Bank, United Bank for Africa, Standard Bank and Standard Chartered.
Meanwhile, former NNPC spokesman, Olufemi Soneye, had previously explained that the company reduced its intended refinery stake to channel funds into compressed natural gas projects.
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