Headline

Pendulum: Why Are People Doubting Buhari’s Third Term Denial?

Published

5 years ago

November 30, 2019

Eric

By Dele Momodu

Fellow Nigerians, I don’t know about you, but I find the cynicism of many Nigerians very strange and sometimes distressing and depressing. If you’re a social media addict like me, you must have experienced the horror of reading some banal arguments on some platforms. Believe me, it is no longer funny! No surprise that some wonder wonder legislator has decided that hate speech must not only be legislated out of existence but made a capital offence so that horrible death awaits the purveyors of such filth, not minding the constitutional guarantee of Nigerians to freedom of speech and expression.

Everywhere you turn, on the internet and even in the print and electronic media, you will be assailed and assaulted by all manner of conspiracy theories. We seem to have all become ‘doubting Thomases’. Just in case you’re not familiar with the story behind that popular phrase, let me regurgitate it here. It is a Biblical tale that can be found in the book of John 20: 24-29. According to the account, Apostle Thomas was totally sceptical about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, after he was told by his ten other Apostles that Jesus had already appeared to them. Thomas Paine, one of my favourite authors of all time, ironically, says the original Thomas was not a doubter but an unbeliever, suggesting that his was not a situation of doubt, but one of total disbelief. He went on to differentiate between the two in his seminal masterpiece, The Age of Reason. According to Paine, an unbeliever has no iota of faith or belief in him whereas a doubter still has some redeemable faith.

This scenario is what I think is playing out in Nigeria right now. Despite copious denials from the President and the Presidency about President Muhammadu Buhari’s lack of interest in elongating his stay in power by any means possible. If there is one thing I know the President does not joke with, it is his faith in Islam. The President even swore by the Holy Koran that he will never go against the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by doing the unthinkable. Yet people are saying they don’t believe the series of denials emanating from his camp or even the Man himself.

One must ask why not a few Nigerians have refused to budge on the matter. As for me, I believe there is no way President Buhari can wake up tomorrow and reverse these public statements. I would be astonished to see which mouth he will use to tell us that he is under pressure, as some have suggested he will do, and that he has thus changed his mind and has decided to run again or simply extend his term of office. To be honest, it will shock me to the marrow. Notwithstanding his foibles and weaknesses, I still cling to the belief that he is a man of honour and integrity, probably the last saint standing in Nigeria. I have thought long and hard about the possibility of him looking at us with a straight poker face and saying I want to contest again or stay for a little while longer. The President may sometimes have a taciturn, inscrutable expression, but I doubt that even he could carry this one off without looking sheepishly guilty.

But the unbelieving Thomases of Nigeria have said they see Buhari contesting in 2023 or even thereafter despite the sporadic denials. Perhaps it is worth considering their uncharitable contentions. So, what are their arguments.

Possibly the strongest argument, is their claim that in fact we must take Buhari’s strident and passionate denials at no more than face level. They contend that Buhari’s saintliness would not be tainted or tarnished because he would not have broken his promise. He would not be breaking any Law or reneging on his words as long as he finds a way to change the Constitution. Simply put, what the President had said was that he will never do anything unconstitutional, but not that he will never change or alter the Constitution and thus be acting unconstitutionally if there is tenure elongation or a third term or both added to the Constitution. Is it that some of us who see this as preposterous, nay impossible, are plainly naive or even stupid?

The unbelieving Thomases are pointing to their imaginary tell-tale signs. The first is that Buhari has refused to change the military Chiefs who have definitely overstayed their welcome and are certainly not as effective as to justify their being over-pampered by the State, thus depriving some of our young Turks the opportunity of demonstrating how they can positively change the narrative of our security challenges. But I refuse to see any big deal. The President himself is a retired General of the Nigerian Army, one of the most accomplished soldiers Nigeria ever had. He definitely knows more about military strategy than most of us combined. I believe we simply lack the competence and experience to challenge him on matters of security, even if his knowledge and experience were gained in yesteryears or what some have taken to describing as the dark and arcane days of the mid-20^th century.

The unbelieving Thomases also point at the fact that the top security echelon of Nigeria comes from President Buhari’s part of the country and this can only mean that he feels he would need them to support him, by fire by force, one day sooner rather than later. As tempting as the argument might be, I still maintain my lane that our people are just crying wolves where there are none.

The unbelieving Thomases believe it is very easy to change the Nigerian Constitution now that Nigerians have been totally cowed by President Buhari and no one, including the tempestuous, fiery and usually vociferous Obasanjo who has gone funereally quiet, can dare stand to challenge the President. They reason that who will challenge Buhari if and when he decides to strike. According to the doomsday apostles, Buhari now has a docile and pliant legislature on his side. He has practically tamed our hitherto robust and fearless judiciary. To cap it all, he has the instruments of the most fearsome and intimidatory enforcement agencies at his beck and call and the pen is no longer mightier than the sword. It is suggested that when these attack dogs are unleashed on an already battered and shattered citizenry their collapse into the waiting arms of a dictator potentate would be calamitously swift.

The unbelieving Thomases point at the spate of meetings and consultations going on almost on daily basis between the President and Nigerians from all walks of lives, including the military wing, serving or retired, political class, old or new, traditional rulers, relevant or not, and so many others. They are peeved at the fact that the President recently invited Speakers of all the State Houses of Assembly to Abuja, belonging to different political colouration and persuasion. They point out that the State legislatures will be needed for any Constitutional amendment and they are just being sweetened for the dastardly act that is to come. Again, I don’t see any big deal. A President is usually the father of the nation and may decide to call on anyone for support in the face of the current tribulations ravaging the country. Indeed, the President must be commended for reaching out in this way. The Man simply cannot win. Hitherto, he was accused of being insular and withdrawn, almost reclusive. Now that he is reaching out, people are seeing phantom plots and sub-plots! Nigerians!! I simply can’t see what is wrong in the President hosting people and ensuring he enjoys everyone’s cooperation and collaboration in the turbulent times that we face.

The unbelieving Thomases see these meetings as precursors to a hidden agenda that will ultimately snowball or metamorphose into a political conflagration when events begin to unfold at the speed of light. Call me stupid, but I don’t see how this is possibly feasible, now or ever. True, most members of Nigeria’s political class lack principle and courage, but if the unexpected is tried by Buhari, it may ignite an unexpected reaction that may lead to even opposing forces coming together to face him squarely. Buhari knows this fact very well, that the seeming docility or obvious reticence of Nigerians is more tellingly dangerous than their open loquaciousness. An animal backed to the wall is most dangerous running back to face his attacker!

Still the unbelieving Thomases insist the President is not the sort of person to waste unnecessary time and resources on bringing a deluge of fat cats into Abuja without having a serious and sinister motive. They argue that the President knows what he is doing, and that he is certainly not so jobless or just seeking good company in a gilded cage. I’m unhappy that we have become so angrily divided that all we see are frightening apparitions attributable to our wild imaginations.

The unbelieving Thomases think the matter of the supposed ostracisation of the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo is a powerful message to would be aspirants that there is no vacancy in Aso Rock villa and that whosoever is nursing any such ambition should urgently perish the thought. Osinbajo is seen as an unwilling and unwitting pawn in the game of politics and may not be disturbed for as long as he stays in his track without as much as a whimper, otherwise, he would be squashed and resampled underfoot like a pesky pest! Nobody seems to care that this is far from the truth. I am assured, and the President and the Vice President have taken great pains to guarantee us that the relationship between Buhari and his Deputy has never been stronger than it is now and that the trust and camaraderie between them is solid and unbroken.

On a serious note, I choose to believe President Buhari on this occasion. I can’t see how he can come out in the open and tell us he wants to stay longer than 2023, after swearing by the Holy Koran. Besides as a Muslim he understands man alone cannot determine his tomorrow. There are supernatural forces at play. Man can only propose but God is always the one to dispose. The unbelievers should calm down, especially, now that APC has publicly disowned a rascal who went to court seeking extension to Buhari’s stay in power. If I had doubts before, that was a clear indication that certainly, neither the President nor the ruling party is in cahoots with strange and mindless bedfellows with phantasmagorical ideas that may be running riot in their brains.

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria and its Constitution.

A Toast to The Bisi Olatilo Show At 20

It is with great pleasure that I join many others in celebrating the 20^th anniversary of the now virtually assured and widely acclaimed BISCON Communications the global brand owned by Prince Bisi Olatilo, from Igbajo, Osun State. The ace broadcaster, media personality, polyglot, compere, motivational speaker, magazine publisher and television owner, producer and director and world traveller has good reason to rejoice and a lot to thank God for.

The story of BISCON Communications is the fruition of dreams, hard work, professionalism and passion. Bisi Olatilo has these and more in his repertoire. He is simply put a perfectionist who has decided not to rest on his laurels but continues to strive to attain greater heights. This is what has culminated in his recent embracing of technology when he launched the 24-hour Bisi Olatilo Show TV App. Olatilo’s doggedness and determination to succeed in all facets of his chosen media career is one that easily commends itself to our youths of today. He has remained a quintessential inspiration to me since our paths crossed nearly three decades ago as irrepressible devotees of Sir Shina Peters. Egbon Rere, as I love to fondly call Uncle Bisi, has been a luminous star ever since.

My initial respect for him started from his mastery of the Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and English languages, all of which he speaks fluently with equal competence. I have marvelled endlessly about how it is possible for any one soul to store up all those voluminous vocabulary in one brain without going burst.

It is interesting to note that Olatilo is probably the only Nigerian media owner with a brand that transcends all the areas of media space namely radio, print, television and the internet with a great deal of accomplishments and fanfare. Bisi Olatilo started out as a radio broadcaster with Radio Nigeria almost 40 years ago. A highly successful newscaster and commentator, Olatilo veered into TV by providence because he had also become well known as an MC and compere and was meeting a lot of celebrities in this role. His decision to venture into TV broadcasting is one he has never regretted. His popular Bisi Olatilo show was birthed on AIT owned by High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, who was prescient enough to key into Uncle Bisi’s vision. The TV brand is obviously the most successful of the BISCON Communications brand. It has aired as a 24-hour TV station on HITV and now airs internationally on satellite television on BEN TV owned by Alistair Soyode. In the BISCON stable is the celebrity magazine, BOS International, and the latest addition is the 24-hour TV App which is available on the internet and particularly YouTube.

Beyond his incomparable successes in showbiz, Uncle Bisi has been a wonderful family which is always tough to manage in our type of business. He has managed the home front very well with his beautiful and ever radiant wife, Aunty Folasade, who we all call Mummy, a loyal, dutiful and caring spouse of our great icon and living legend. They are blessed with five accomplished children, three daughters and two sons and they are proud grandparents.

Please, help me raise a toast to the consummate showman, BISI OLATILO…

Headline

Mike Adenuga is Alive, Hale and Hearty, I Just Spoke with Him – Dele Momodu

Published

1 day ago

November 20, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Africa’s biggest philanthropist and Chairman, Globacom Group, Dr. Mike Adenuga is Alive, hale and hearty!

This has been confirmed by Chairman, Ovation Media Group, Chief Dele Momodu via his social media handles.

Following rumours, whose source is yet to be ascertained that the man, known for his quantum giving, passed away, Momodu wrote that he had just spoken with the billionaire businessman, who affirmed his health while thanking all for their concern.

“Ignore the fake news…DR MICHAEL ADENIYI AGBOLADE ISOLA ADENUGA is hale and hearty. He is right now at his desk working round the clock in support of the Nigerian economy…He just called me to thank everyone for their concern,” Dele Momodu wrote.

In addition, members of the top echelon of the group have separately confirmed that the one known as The Bull is alive and healthy.

Dr. Adenuga has remained in the forefront of many families happy with his direct financial and material gifts as well as consistent promo from his Glo brand.

Only last night, CNN celebrated 15 years of his sponsorship of the African Voices Changemakers, where he has foe a decade and half been supporting budding African entertainers to reach their professional zenith.

Headline

A Tale of Two Emirs of Kano: Who Blinks First?

Published

3 days ago

November 18, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The uneasy calm that reared its ugly head in the ancient city of Kano since May 23, 2024, when Governor Yusuf Kabir sacked the sitting Emir, Aminu Ado Bayero, replacing him with Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, also known as Muhammadu Sanusi II, has yet to abate as the two prominent personalities have consistently laid claim to the emirship of the emirate, and operating from different palaces in the town.

The bitter rivalry between the two royalties has caused division not only in the emirate, but the entire Kano State, and spiraling into national politics, leaving the political parties, especially the New Nigerian Peoples Party, which is the governor’s party, the Presidency, alleged to be giving backing to the immediate past governor, Umar Ganduje, who is also the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the security agencies, who receive instructions from the Presidency, taking sides.

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi also known as Muhammadu Sanusi II and Aminu Ado Bayero are the parties embroiled in the bitter rivalry in a bid to outwit each other for the exalted Emir of Kano position. This was since Sanusi was reinstated as the 16th Emir, having been dethroned and exiled on March 9, 2020 by the former administration of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

Sources close the two notable figures, and the palace told The Boss that it is not unlikely that both men are being supported by powerful entities.

“While Sanusi has the backing of the Kano State government as visibly manifested in the reinstatement process, Ado Bayero is being backed by the Federal Government of Nigeria,” one of the sources said.

The furore has consequently attracted the wrong commentaries from stakeholders within and outside the Kano Emirate, resulting in heated arguments, threats and possibly outbreak of direct and indirect confrontations. But six months into the leadership quagmire, none of the two has shifted ground, or is willing to shift ground as more and more intrigues of power play and desire for recognition continue to be the order of the day.

The ‘two emirs’, who continue to claim legitimacy, have variously been trying to outdo each other in the quest to be relevant in the scheme of things.

The rivalry between the two emirs and their loyalists has resuscitated with weddings and counter weddings.

Just this weekend, a former governor of Kano State, Alhaji Rabiu Kwnakwaso hosted the wedding of his daughter, Dr. Aisha Rabiu Kwankwaso, and her husband, Fahad Dahiru Mangal, at the palace of Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, which attracted prominent national citizens including former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice President Kashim Shettima, Waziri Adamawa Atiku Abubakar among others. Fahad is the son of Nigerian business magnate, Dahiru Mangal, founder of MaxAir, one of the country’s leading private airlines.

In what looked like a counter affair, the palace of Aminu Ado Bayero, in Nasarawa Local Government Area of the state, will on December 13, 2024 hosts a double wedding involving Jibrin Barau Jibrin and Aisha Barau Jibrin, the children of the Senate Deputy President, Barau I. Jibrin, to their spouses.

Some stakeholders told The Boss that the whole thing is a case of seeking relevance and originality.

Meanwhile, former Governor Kwankwaso has blamed President Bola Tinubu for the crises that have failed to abate in the state.

While speaking at the convocation ceremony of Skyline University in Kano on Sunday, Kwankwaso accused Tinubu and the political forces from Lagos of attempting to impose their influence on Kano’s leadership, particularly in the selection of the Emir.

“Today, we can see very clearly that there are significant efforts from the Lagos axis to colonise this part of the country. Lagos wouldn’t allow us to choose even our Emir; instead, they want to impose their own Emir on Kano,” he stated.

HOW IT ALL BEGAN…

The Kano State House of Assembly, as widely speculated, repealed the 2019 Law, which was instrumental in removing Sanusi from office, and balkanise the Kano emirate into five jurisdictions.

The Assembly, in the new emirate law stipulated the sack of all the Emirs in the jurisdictions and a restoration of the old order, where only one Emir will be overseeing all of Kano.

As a result, the Governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, appended his signature on the bill, giving it the backing of the law, in the presence of the deputy governor, Aminu Abdulsalam, Speaker, Isma’il Falgore, and the SSG, Abdullahi Bichi. and thereafter, proceeded to sacking the emirs with a 48 hours ultimatum to vacate their palaces.

While the Emirs of Bichi, Rano, Karaye, and Gaya complied with the directive, the Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, had gone to court to stop the process.

Both by native ordinance and law, every dethroned Emir is banished or expected to leave Kano for good. Recall that in 1965 when Muhammadu I, Sanusi’s grandfather resigned, having got wind of his possible dethronement, he abdicated to Bauchi, and never returned to Kano.

It was therefore, a surprise that on Saturday, Bayero, who was dethroned, returned to the city of Kano, and moved into a palace in Nasarawa LGA of the state; a move that proved that he has not relinquished power. While Sanusi is operating in the main palace, Bayero is operating from the Nasarawa Palace, creating two full blown emirs for one throne.

The Boss learnt that a squad of soldiers that had been protecting Bayero before he was dethroned, rode with him from the airport to the palace. The same report has it that the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has been behind Bayero’s moves, especially his flight and residency in the city. The NSA denied the allegation, threatening legal action againat the deputy governor, who made the claim.

Responding after the deposed monarch arrived in Kano to a hero’s welcome from a horde of his supporters, the Deputy Governor of the state, Aminu Gwarzo, blamed Ribadu, for allegedly facilitating the return of Bayero to the palace by providing him with two private jets.

Ribadu, in a letter by his legal team, Aliyu & Musa Chambers, said that Gwarzo should retract his claim, tender apology, or face legal action.

The letter reads: “The attention of our client was drawn to a video clip being shared on different social media platforms wherein you granted an interview at Emir’s Palace in Kano on Saturday, the 25th day of May 2024, in a very calm atmosphere, and without any provocation whatsoever, falsely accusing our client of using his office to kill the people of Kano State and maim their properties.

“In the clip, you were shown to be speaking in Hausa.

“Your false accusations against our client portraying his office as an appendage of a political party and a willing tool to cause chaos in Kano is false and done to damage the hard-earned reputation of our client in the eyes of the right-thinking members of the society and indeed it has succeeded in doing so.

“In all the places he has served, our client has never been accused of any wrongdoing.

“Given this illustrious background, it is inconceivable that someone would harbour the thought that our client would descend his exalted office so low as to interfere in the local tussle of the Kano Emirate.

“The wide coverage you gave your interview has caused serious embarrassment to our client and his family.

“Since the publication, our client has been receiving a barrage of telephone calls both within and outside Nigeria from friends and associates who felt disappointed in him because of the false allegation owing to the fact that it came from a person occupying the office of Deputy Governor of Kano State.

“Our client and his office take your allegations seriously and by this letter, our client is demanding that you provide irrefutable evidence to substantiate your claims.

The return of Bayero consequently prompted the governor to order his arrest.

In a counter, a federal high court in Kano ordered the state government not to enforce the Emirate Council Repeal Law 2024, and desist from from issuing Sanusi appointment letter.

STAND OF SECURITY OPERATIVES

The Kano State Police Command refused to arrest Bayero, saying he would only enforce the court order restraining the state government from dissolving five newly created Emirates in the state, and restatement of Sanusi.

The state Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Hussain Gumel, while making a broadcast, flanked by representatives of other security agencies, vowed to maintain law and order, assuring that security agencies won’t spare anyone trying to temper the peace across the state.

He said: “Let me also remind you that the position of the law is very clear as whoever, under whatever guise is found to be planning to disrupt the peace being enjoyed in the State or feel that he or she can jeopardize the existing security settings in the State will be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law.

“Therefore, as the Police Command is leading other security agencies to sustain the peace and peaceful coexistence for overriding interests, miscreants should steer clear of violence in all its ramifications and should not take advantage or hijack the current situation to launch an unprovoked attack on people, property and infrastructure of the State. Any person found with such a tendency will be ruthlessly dealt with according to the law of the land

“The combined security agencies in the State have set out all machinery in place to ensure no breakdown of law and order as the safety and security of all the inhabitants in the State remain sacrosanct,” Gumel said.

NBA TAKES A STAND, URGES CAUTION

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called for caution in the legal fireworks playing out in Kano, stressing that it is deeply “deeply concerned about these developments in many ways”.

In a statement, NBA chairman in Kano, Sagir Gezawa, said it is the constitutional duty of a state assembly to legislate and once passed, it remains the prerogative of a governor to assent to such law.

“Once assented to by the governor, it has become a Law and its implementation is to be done by state apparatus and of course enforced by a competent court of law,” Gezawa said.

“It’s further within the purview of courts to interpret such law to be in tandem with other existing laws or the constitution.

“In doing so, we urge our members to act responsibly in approaching courts with competent jurisdiction.

“A court order, once given, is sacrosanct and must be obeyed.

“However, it must be noted that while the court has its own mechanism of enforcing its order, it’s not within the powers of the Nigerian Army to deploy troops to enforce court order. This is a sad reminder of the military dictatorship and must be condemned.

“Anyone found wanting or in disobedience of a court order (which is declaratory in nature) must first be proved to have been notified of the existence of the said court order by issuance of Form 48 and subsequently Form 49 notifying such person of the consequences of his or her actions.

“This is in line with the Sheriff and Civil Processes Act and Laws of the various States for enforcing court judgments.

“Engaging security apparatus without the officers of the Deputy Sherriff’s Department of the relevant court that made the order may appear to be self-help which must also be condemned.

“As an association therefore, we call on all state actors, to be mindful of their oaths of office and for the security agencies, their scope of duties so as not to make mockery of our judicial system.”

The NBA said the actions of the state actors “may breach the security and peace” in Kano and “they shall be held accountable in this life or the next,” the statement said.

But some notable personalities including former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has blamed the Bola Tinubu-led federal government for being behind the crisis in Kano.

Atiku made accusation via a statement by his spokesperson, Mr. Paul Ibe on Saturday.

“The action of the Federal Government in deploying soldiers in Kano in the tussle over the throne of the ancient city is an upset to the peace and security of the state, and also in breach of the 1999 Constitution as Amended.

“In performing their constitutional duties of law making, the Kano State House of Assembly (KSHA) passed the amended Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Bill 2024 in consonance with the provision of Section 4 of the Constitution 1999 as Amended whereas the Governor of Kano State, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf subsequently signed into law the said bill. The law therefore repealed the 2019 version which balkanized the ancient Kano Emirate into five.

“The foregoing circumstances happened within the confines of the law and in compliance with the powers conferred on the Governor as provided by Section 5(2) of the 1999 Constitution as amended; and also in consultation with the Kingmakers of Kano, reappointed Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (also known as Muhammadu Sanusi II) as the 16th Emir of Kano State and accordingly handed him a letter of appointment.
It is surprising that in the early hours of today, exactly at about 5:30 am the former Emir of Kano, His Majesty Aminu Ado Bayero backed by Federal might made their way into the Nasarawa Palace of the Kano Emirate while the reappointed Emir, Muhammadu Sanusi II was at the Gidan Dabo, which is the main residence of the Emir of Kano.

“In this wise, the former Emir could not have made his way into the Nasarawa Palace without the support of the Federal Government having done so with the support of the Army and other security personnel in his company. The deployment of soldiers in extra constitutional matters such as this undermines the integrity of the Nigerian military.

“We need to remind the Tinubu administration that Kano State is known for peace and harmony spanning thousands of years and any attempt to destablise the peace of the Land of Commerce shall be resisted. Recall that Muhammadu Sanusi II was dethroned on 9th March, 2020 dethroned, Kano forged on in peace without any fracas.

“We wish to state unequivocally that if for any reason, law and order breaks down in Kano State, particularly Kano Municipal, the Federal Government should be held responsible as the act of providing security cover to the former Emir, Aminu Ado Bayero to come back to Kano is an invitation to anarchy,” he said.

In the same vein, the Council of Ulamas, has President Bola Tinubu against plunging Kano into chaos. The group said, the crisis, if not well managed, could escalate and degenerate into chaos.

With the state backing the reinstatement of Sanusi, the path looks smooth for Muhammadu Sanusi II to repossess the emirship of Kano, but all will depend on how the politics of superiority is played in the coming days.

While Tinubu watches without lifting a finger of settlement, the ancient city of Kano, like Rivers State, is slowly burning down.

Headline

How FG Spent N19bn on Presidential Planes in 15 Months – Report

Published

1 week ago

November 12, 2024

Eric

At least N19.43 billion has reportedly been spent on the maintenance and operations of the Presidential Air Fleet from July 2023 to September 2024.

According to GovSpend, a civic tech platform that tracks and analyses the Federal government’s spending, showed that for 2024, the payouts amounted to N13.55billion, representing 66 per cent of the allocations for the fleet in the 2024 fiscal year.

Most disbursements were labeled ‘Forex Transit Funds,’ typically funds allocated for foreign exchange requirements to facilitate international transactions and engagements.

In the context of the Presidential Air Fleet, such funds are used to cover expenses related to operations outside the country, including fuel purchases, maintenance or services in foreign currencies.

“When aircraft on the fleet are abroad, payments are often made in U.S. dollars or another foreign currency to ensure uninterrupted operations,” a government official explained.

In July 2023, N1.52bn was disbursed in two tranches of N846m and N675m for ‘Presidential air fleet forex transit funds.’

The following month, N3.1bn was disbursed in three tranches of N388m, N2bn, and N713m for the same item.

In November of that year, N1.26bn was released to the Presidential Air Fleet Naira transit account.

The first overhead for 2024 came in March, where N1.27bn were disbursed twice, amounting to N2.54bn. The transit account received N6.35bn in April, N4.97bn in May and N210m in July.

August saw the highest frequency of transactions, with N5.60bn released in six separate disbursements.

Although these transactions were not clearly labeled, the monies were paid into the Presidential Air Fleet naira transit account, including the N35m transfer made in September.

In late April, the transit account received N5.08bn; this came around the same time the President was on a two-nation tour to the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia.

Although Tinubu arrived in the Netherlands in a state-owned Gulfstream AeroSpace 550 Jet, the aircraft could not proceed to Saudi Arabia due to unspecified technical problems. He reportedly continued his journey on a chartered private plane.

At the time, the President’s Boeing 737 business jet was undergoing maintenance. It was later replaced with an Airbus A330 purchased for $100m in August 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 that it “will save Nigeria huge maintenance and fuel costs, running into millions of dollars yearly.”

The new Airbus A330 is just one of several aircraft currently on the Presidential Air Fleet, arguably one of Africa’s largest, with around 11 aircraft of various makes and models. Until August, it comprised the 19-year-old B737-700 and a 13-year-old Gulfstream Aerospace G550.

The BBJ was acquired during the tenure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo at $43m but became a money guzzler as it aged.

Onanuga, defending the purchase of Airbus A330, argued that the new Airbus 330 aircraft and the costs of maintaining the air fleet were 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 – it has been used by somebody else before he got it, but it is a much newer model than the one President Buhari used.

“The one President Buhari used was bought by President Obasanjo some 20 years ago. There was a time when the President went to Saudi Arabia, and the plane developed some problems. The President had to leave the Netherlands with a chartered jet.

“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.

The presidential aide said he discussed with the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, on the faulty plane [Boeing 737 jet] and he said the maintenance costs were excessive because of the age of the aircraft, hence the need for another plane.

The presidential fixed-wing fleet includes a Gulfstream G500, two Falcon 7Xs, a Hawker 4000, and a Challenger 605.

Three of the seven fixed-wings are reportedly unserviceable. Meanwhile, the rotor-wing fleet includes two Agusta 139s and two Agusta 101s, all operated by the Nigerian Air Force but supervised by the Office of the National Security Adviser.

Former President Buhari promised to reduce the number of aircraft in the PAF to the absolute necessary.

In April 2023, three jets were put up for sale, but there were no specifics on which.

However, efforts to sell one of the Dassault Falcon 7x and the Hawker 4000 in October 2016 stalled when a potential buyer reduced their initial offer from $24m to $11m.

Since 2017, budgetary allocations for the fleet have shown a growing trend, with one exception in 2020.

The allocation for the fleet increased from N4.37bn in 2017 to N20.52bn in 2024, showing a 370 per cent rise in running costs.

In 2018, the fleet’s budget rose significantly by 66.13 per cent to N7.26bn, driven by a substantial increase in capital project allocations while maintaining similar levels for recurrent costs. This upward trajectory continued into 2019, slightly increasing the total allocation to N7.30bn.

The exception came in 2020, when the budget dropped by nearly seven per cent to N6.79bn, primarily due to decreased overhead costs, a reflection of the global economic impacts of lockdowns and disruptions in operations.

By 2021, however, the budget surged dramatically to N12.55bn—a record increase of 84.83 per cent from the previous year.

In 2022, maintenance expenses for each aircraft ranged from $1.5m to $4.5m annually.

The 2022, 2023 and 2024 appropriation acts earmarked N12.48bn, N13.07bn and N20.52bn respectively.

On his way to the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in Samoa, a foreign object damaged the cockpit windscreen of Vice President Kashim Shettima’s GulfStream aircraft during a stopover at JFK Airport in New York.

According to Lee Aerospace, manufacturers of the Gulfstream, jet windshields consist of thick multilayered structures of varying layers of glass and transparent acrylic built to withstand collision with a 2kg object.

However, damage to the windshield must have affected its inner layers. While specific prices for replacement can vary based on supplier, labour rates and regional costs, estimates suggest that a single windshield replacement for a G550 can range from $50,000 to $70,000 for part and labour costs.

In an interview with our correspondent, the General Secretary of the Aviation Round Table, Olumide Ohunayo, blamed the meteoric rise in the allocations for the PAF on the age of some of the aircraft in the fleet and declining value of the naira as well as the “commercial use” of aircraft by the Nigerian Air Force.

Ohunayo said, “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.”

For his part, the Executive Chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, argued that the administration’s spending habits were opposite to Nigerians’ expectations of frugality.

“What we are getting from this administration is opposite to our expectation. We thought we would have an administration that would be frugal in spending and very meticulous at implementing its budget.

“But what we are getting is an administration that has fallen in love with profligacy; that doesn’t see anything wrong in living big amid a poverty-stricken nation.

“It is a reenactment of the Shagari administration, whereby they bought the biggest Mercedes Benz and made themselves as comfortable as possible without considering how much the masses are suffering.

“So when you look at a Vice President saying he’s not travelling [to Samoa] again because there was a splinter on the windscreen of his private aircraft. Why should that be the case?

“First and foremost, we need to be represented at such an international meeting, where we should be well represented by the first two citizens of this country.

“He abandoned that, which means we would have lost certain representation that we deserve at that forum. Two, money will have been spent on advance parties that went ahead of the Vice President. But he abandoned the journey altogether.”