President Bola Tinubu and his entourage, on Tuesday, departed Lagos for Pretoria to attend the inauguration of the South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, aboard two private aircraft, The PUNCH learnt.
The President was escorted by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, the Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, and other government officials.
A source, who was among those who saw off the President, told our reporter that the President left with members of his team in two private jets.
“They went in two private jets. Of course, you are aware that the presidential jets are no longer in good shape,” the source, who preferred not to be mentioned, said.
Efforts to corroborate the report from the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, and the Minister of Information, Idris Mohammed, were unsuccessful.
As of the time of filing this story, they neither picked up the calls nor responded to messages sent for clarification.
Tinubu reportedly left the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, on a Dassault Falcon 8X aircraft around 11:06 am.
According to the presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, the President would attend the inauguration of Ramaphosa following his re-election as President for a second term.
The development came barely 24 hours after the Presidency replied to the objection by the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to a demand for new aircraft for the presidential fleets.
The House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence had recently called on the Federal Government to buy new aircraft for Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima.
The committee’s recommendation was contained in a report released after it investigated the status of the aircraft in the presidential air fleet.
Obi, on his X handle on Monday, however, described the move as unfortunate, saying it was coming at a time Nigerians were grappling with economic hardship occasioned by the Federal Government’s policies.
But the Presidency, in a swift reaction, described Obi’s comment as insensitive, wondering if he would rather have the life of the President jeopardised by flying faulty aircraft.
Onanuga had queried the former Anambra governor’s intention on why the number one citizen should not have access to a new plane for his safety.
“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? Let him tell us. This is a basic thing any sane government will do. You can’t toy with your President’s welfare.
“Why will any right-thinking person still want the President to move around in it? In this way, it is the National Assembly that officially recommended that new ones should be bought. Sometimes, Peter Obi opened his mouth to make unnecessary statements,” he stated.
