Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, has responded to criticisms from Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate, about the Federal Government’s plan to buy new aircraft for the presidential fleet.
In a recent report shared by Punch, Onanuga explained that the current plane used by President Tinubu was bought over 20 years ago during former President Obasanjo’s time. He mentioned that the plane is quite small and recently had problems during a trip to Saudi Arabia. He said because of these issues, President Tinubu had to travel to the UK on a commercial airline.
Onanuga also pointed out that the people who manage the plane have said it needs to be replaced. He questioned why anyone would expect the President to continue using an old and problematic plane. He added that the decision to buy new aircraft was officially recommended by the National Assembly, not just the President’s choice. He criticized Peter Obi for making statements that he felt were unnecessary and not based on the full context of the situation.
In Onanuga’s words: “The plane he used now, I learnt, was bought during (former President) Obasanjo’s era. That was over 20 years ago and I learnt it was a very small plane. The plane developed a problem the last time he travelled to Saudi Arabia”