Tinubu bought refurbished jet, not new one – Onanuga

Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga announced that the new official jet purchased by President Bola Tinubu is a refurbished aircraft.

Speaking on Channels TV’s programme, Sunday Politics, Onanuga explained that some jets in the presidential fleet are nearly 19 years old, necessitating the purchase of a new one to prioritise the president’s safety.

He added that the refurbished Airbus would save Nigeria significant maintenance costs associated with servicing the older aircraft. Onanuga also said that the Boeing B737-700 jets acquired under former President Olusegun Obasanjo are in poor condition, resulting in exorbitant maintenance costs.

Onanuga said that rather than spending large sums on aircraft upkeep, the President sought approval from the National Assembly for a refurbished jet that is still in good condition.

“It’s not President Tinubu’s plane; it belongs to the people of Nigeria, it is our property,” Onanuga said on the Sunday edition of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-economic programme aired on Channels Television.

The presidential spokesman said Tinubu wouldn’t take the just-acquired jet with him when he leaves office. Onanuga noted that the jet would also benefit Tinubu’s successor.

“The president did not purchase a new jet; what he has is a refurbished jet that has been used by someone else before him. However, it is a much newer model than the one President Buhari utilized.

“The jet used by President Buhari was bought by President Obasanjo around 20 years ago. There was an incident when the president traveled to Saudi Arabia; the plane encountered some problems, forcing him to leave on a chartered jet to the Netherlands,” Onanuga stated.

The presidential spokesman added that he spoke with the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, regarding the faulty plane. Ribadu indicated that the maintenance costs due to the plane’s age were exorbitant, which necessitated the acquisition of a different aircraft.

“People should prioritise the safety of the president. I’m sure no one wants to see our president in a dangerous situation while in the air. We want him safe so he can hand over to whoever is set to take over from him,” Onanuga commented.