Activist lawyer Deji Adeyanju has criticized the N150 billion presidential jet purchase amid national controversy.
The recent purchase of a new presidential jet, reportedly costing N150 billion, has sparked widespread controversy and criticism across Nigeria.
In an interview with Arise News, Adeyanju expressed disbelief over the government’s decision to replace the presidential jet, which he claims is “almost new,” with a costly upgrade.
He described the move as a glaring example of the government’s indifference to the plight of ordinary Nigerians, particularly in light of the nation’s pressing needs.
“From where we are standing, we have not seen any sign of goodwill from the government,” Adeyanju said.
“The most brazen display of a lack of care for the Nigerian people is the presidential jet he just launched, costing a whopping N150 billion. The jet he replaced is still almost new.”
Adeyanju went on to compare Nigeria’s presidential expenses with those of other world leaders.
He pointed out that the US presidential jet, Air Force One, is nearly 50 years old, and the British Prime Minister often flies commercial.
He emphasized that the Nigerian President’s convoy alone would be enough to trigger impeachment in a more functional democracy.
“The US President pays for everything he eats in the White House, yet our leaders spend extravagantly on themselves without any consideration for the burden on the citizens. The convoy of the Nigerian President is enough to get him impeached if things were working in this country,” Adeyanju asserted.
Beyond the jet purchase, Adeyanju also criticized the government’s response to recent protests.
He noted that the level of security mobilization witnessed during the EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests revealed the government’s capability to address the nation’s security challenges—if it chooses to do so.
“We never knew that we had this type of security mobilization in the country until the EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest. This means we can tackle the issue of insecurity in the country if we want,” Adeyanju remarked.
“The amount of resources the government put into stopping this protest—imagine if we put that same resource into fixing this country.”
Adeyanju further highlighted the recent abduction and murder of the Emir of Sokoto by bandits as an example of the government’s failure to address insecurity effectively.
He suggested that the deployment of over 4,000 police officers to manage protests in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) could have been more effectively utilized in regions plagued by violence, such as Zamfara, Sokoto, and Kebbi.
“In this same country, 1,400 protesters have been arrested by the protester-in-chief, who has always been protesting and a chief critic of others. These are people who called a sitting president a kindergarten president and all sorts of names. It’s now their turn to receive protest, but protesters must meet the government, have an identified leader, and converge at a particular location,” Adeyanju added, alluding to the government’s crackdown on dissent.