Presidency Questions Peter Obi's Criticism of the Idea of Buying a new Presidential Aircraft; Asks Does he want President Tinubu dead?

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has come under fire from the Presidency for criticizing the Federal Government's intentions to purchase new planes for President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.

In a statement issued on Monday, June 17, Obi said the action was callous considering the fact that many Nigerians were suffering from financial difficulty as a result of the policies of the Federal Government.

But in a fast response to his position, Obi's Special Advisor to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, called Obi's remark inappropriate and questioned whether he would rather have the President's life in danger by operating malfunctioning aircraft.

Punch quoted Onanuga as saying: “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 Foreign Government should purchase new planes for President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, according to a recent request from the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence.