No request for presidential jet before Senate – Akpabio

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has denied receiving any correspondence from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu requesting Senate approval of funds for presidential jet.

Akpabio spoke after a closed-door meeting of senators at the chambers which lasted for over an hour.

The senators had cut short their recess which was to elapse on July 2, 2024, and returned for an emergency session to consider a bill for an act to amend the 2023 supplementary appropriation act to further extend its implementation to December 31, 2024, as requested by President Tinubu.

There were reports that President Tinubu was seeking the National Assembly approval of funds for the purchase of a new presidential jet.

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But Akpabio said, “I have never had that correspondence to approve the purchase of a plane. We care about the President, we care about Nigerians. We will approve things that will benefit the people.”

“There is nothing before us. But the purveyors of the story know that there is a problem with the presidential fleet.”

Earlier, Senate leader, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central) said, “There is no such request, if the request comes, not only the Senate will debate it, we are 469 here. So this is the handiwork of fifth columnist and propagandists.”