Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, the lawmaker representing Abia South Senatorial District, has stated that the National Assembly was never approached with a request for the purchase of a new presidential jet prior to the acquisition of the Airbus A330 for President Bola Tinubu.
The jet was unveiled by the Presidency in August, sparking widespread criticism from Nigerians who felt that the President was prioritizing luxury while the public faced significant economic hardships.
In response to the criticisms, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga clarified that the aircraft purchased was not a new jet, as initially reported, but a “refurbished” one. National Assembly members also faced backlash, with many accusing them of being a rubber-stamp legislature that easily approved the purchase request.
However, Senator Abaribe, speaking with newsmen asserted that no such request had ever been brought before the National Assembly. “I am in the National Assembly, but I can tell you for a fact that nobody, quote me, nobody brought anything to the National Assembly to say please approve this for the purchase of a new plane,” Abaribe said. “It was done without my knowledge. I never saw any document, and I have always been in the National Assembly. Ask anyone, none.”
The senator expressed concern that the absence of such a request means the legislature’s role in providing checks and balances on the executive has not been effectively carried out.
He also acknowledged the public’s perception of National Assembly members as a rubber-stamp body, attributing this to lawmakers feeling that despite their efforts, they have not yielded much progress for the public and have thus sought some level of cooperation with the executive.
