After 19 Months In Power, Buhari Close To Selling 2 Of 8 Presidential Aircraft To Cut Cost. 2 Already Went To Air Force

Buhari returning from D.C. on Monday

The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has concluded the process for the sale of two presidential aircraft, a Falcon 7x executive jet and Hawker 4000, The Punch reported on Monday, 19 months after Mr. Buhari inherited 10 aircraft from former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Mr. Buhari, who came to power on 29 May 2015, was a strong critic of former President Goodluck Jonathan for maintaining a large fleet at the expense of Nigerian tax payers and public funds.

But he also came under frequent criticisms this year for maintaining the same number of planes he had met for more than a year at the time Nigeria is going through a harsh recession.

Reports then said his administration had spent over N1.5 billion in one year to maintain the luxury items.

Under pressure and frequent attacks by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Buhari announced that he would be selling two of the jets in a statement his spokesman Garba Shehu issued in October.

Advertisements were placed in newspapers for interested buyers to bid for the aircraft but nothing happened until about two weeks ago when the bids were opened.

The sale of the presidential jets is being handled by the Office of the National Security Adviser.

The Punch quoted a top government source as saying that “at the end of the exercise” two weeks ago, “all those who participated commended the process which they described as very transparent”.

The source did not disclose the identities of the buyers or the sale prices, saying only that details would be made available soon after the approval by President Buhari.

Two aircraft in the fleet had also been handed over to the Nigerian Air Force for its operations, The Punch said.

Mr. Buhari inherited 10 presidential aircraft from Mr. Jonathan. With the planned sale of two, he will now have six aircraft left.

The 10 aircraft included a Boeing Business Jet (Boeing 737-800 or Air Force One), one Gulfstream 550, one Gulfstream V (Gulfstream 500), two Falcons 7X, one Hawker Sidley 4000, two Agusta Westland AW 139 helicopters and two AgustaWestland AW 101 helicopters.

According to the Late Dora Akunyili, the former minister of information, each of the two Falcon 7X jets was purchased in 2010 by the Federal Government for $51.1m, while the Gulfstream 550 was bought for $53.3m.