Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, has criticised President Bola Tinubu for buying a new presidential jet while millions of Nigerians are still unable to access healthcare and other essential services.
In an interview with Sunday Politics, Obi stated that if elected president, he would put the needs of the populace ahead of wasteful spending and that he would never condone the purchase of a private jet..
"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."
Obi addressed worries about potential security threats for a president without a private jet. He emphasised that he did not drive bulletproof cars or let fear control his behaviour while serving as governor of Anambra 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."
Obi maintained that purchasing jets or armoured cars doesn't make insecurity go away. Rather, he asserted, genuine leadership entails having the courage to sacrifice oneself.
"If your people are dying, you should be ready to die," he declared.
The former Anambra governor also took aim at what he called the Tinubu administration's lack of compassion.
"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."
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