PDP asks Buhari to apologise over his daughter's use of presidential jet for personal trip

The PDP says the use of a presidential jet by Hanan for personal trip is provocative, condemnable and unpardonable.

President Muhammadu Buhari has been severely criticised for allowing his daughter, Hanan to use one of the presidential jets for an event she attended in Bauchi state on Thursday, January 9, 2020.

Even though the presidency has reacted to the criticisms in a statement, saying members of Buhari’s family have rights to use the presidential jets, the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) has called on the president to apologise to Nigerians.

In a statement on Saturday, January 11, 2020, by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the opposition party said the action showed that president Buhari has been parading and getting away with false integrity.

Buhari's daughter, Hanan was on Thursday, January 9, 2020, allowed to use a presidential jet for her trip to Bauchi state. (Punch) Pulse Nigeria

The party said it is provocative, condemnable and unpardonable that the president, whose administration has failed ‘to fix and rid our roads of kidnappers and bandits’ would resort to falsehood to justify its action'.

The statement read in part, “Our party holds that Mr. President should apologise for approving that his daughter uses the Presidential jet just for the purpose of allegedly taking photographs in a Durbar event in Bauchi State.

“Perhaps, the Buhari Presidency forgot that it is public knowledge that the Presidential fleet can only be authorized for use by the President, the First Lady, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, former Presidents, Presidential delegation and no one else.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan wants Buhari to apologise over his daughter's use of presidential private jet. (Vanguard) Pulse Nigeria

“Moreover, the rules do not grant the President any powers to transfer any paraphernalia of office or privileges of his position to any of his children.

“The Presidency’s defence is therefore, a direct spat on millions of Nigerians who cannot freely ply our highways because Mr. President and his party the APC, have failed to fix and rid our roads of kidnappers and bandits, who have practically taken over major routes under their despicable watch.”

The opposition party also recalled how Buhari and his party members criticised and accused the previous administration of wasting resources to maintain the Presidential fleet and also promised to save cost by selling off most of the planes.

The PDP said, “Since President Buhari assumed office, none of the planes had been sold. Instead, the Buhari Presidency had continued to budget more funds for the fleet with N8.5 bn budgeted for 2020 alone, only to approve that his daughter uses a Presidential jet for her private photography event.”