The Presidency has responded after Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, expressed displeasure over plans by the Federal Government to purchase a new aircraft for President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Obi in a statement released on Monday, June 17, described the move as insensitive given the fact that many Nigerians were dealing with economic hardship inflicted on them by the Federal Government’s policies.
However, in a swift reaction to his stance, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described Obi’s comment as insensitive, wondering if he would rather have the life of the President jeopardized by flying faulty aircraft.
Speaking with Punch, Onanuga said;
“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.
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. The President had to go from there to the UK on a commercial airline. Even those managing them said the aircraft needed to be replaced.
Why would 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.”
The House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence had recently called on the FG to buy new aircraft for President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima.
