Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, has strongly criticised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to buy a new presidential jet. Obi said it made no sense to spend ₦150 billion on a luxury jet when most Nigerians are still struggling to access basic healthcare and other essential services.
Speaking during an interview on Sunday Politics, Obi said that if he had become president, he would never approve such a wasteful expense. According to him, a good leader should focus on helping the people first, not spending money on things that don’t improve their lives.
“If I become president, I will use our resources effectively. I cannot buy a new jet — I don’t need one because you can travel anywhere without it,” Obi said. “I will not spend ₦150 billion on a jet when 80% of our primary health centres are not functioning.”
Some people worry about the security of a president who doesn’t fly a private jet. But Obi dismissed those fears. He explained that during his time as governor of Anambra State, he didn’t use bulletproof cars and never let fear control the way he led the state.
“I was a governor. For my first four years, I drove a Peugeot 406. Even afterwards, I never used bulletproof cars,” he said. “Nobody will decide to kill you if you’re doing the right thing. It’s when you do the wrong thing that you start fearing death.”
He went further to say that buying jets or armoured cars won’t fix Nigeria’s insecurity problems. Instead, he believes that true leadership means being ready to sacrifice for the good of the country and standing with the people during hard times.
Obi also accused the current administration of lacking empathy. He said the Tinubu-led government is not showing enough care or concern for the suffering many Nigerians are going through daily.
“If your people are dying, you should be ready to die,” he declared.
“Today, we have a country without compassion. Leadership without compassion doesn’t exist; it is a minus, and it’s not good for a country,” Obi said. “People want to wake up and see a president who cares — a president who shows compassion.”
