The Senior Special Assistant on Print Media to the President, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, has detailed how the Federal Government acquired a new presidential jet for President Bola Tinubu.

According to Abdulaziz, the funds for the purchase of the Airbus A330 came from the Service Wide Vote, a portion of the national budget allocated for contingencies. This fund is typically not replenished regularly as required by law.

Abdulaziz clarified that the jet was not new but rather a fairly used aircraft. It was previously owned by a Saudi Arabian company and was purchased through an auction conducted by a bank. The National Assembly approved the acquisition after the previous jet, a Boeing B737-700, faced safety issues and became cost-inefficient.

The Airbus A330, which is 15 years old, was originally manufactured in September 2009 and operated by Midroc Aviation in Saudi Arabia for 12 years. It was later acquired by AMAC Aerospace, a Swiss company, before being purchased by the Nigerian Government and upgraded. The deal, brokered by L & L International LLC, cost the Federal Government over $100 million.