List of Governors Spending Millions on Private Jets for Presidential Campaigns
A report by Daily Trust claims nine serving governors have so far squandered millions of naira to charter private jets to move around the country to advance their presidential ambitions.
The report stated that the governors are traveling across the 36 states and FCT to woo delegates ahead of the presidential primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
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Legit.ng gathers that there are 38 presidential aspirants in both APC and PDP. While all of them have been travelling across the country in chartered aircraft, the spending of the nine serving governors has attracted public attention and scrutiny.
The nine governors running for president are:
- Nyesom Wike (Rivers)
- Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti)
- Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto)
- Bala Mohammed (Bauchi)
- Emmanuel Udom (Akwa Ibom)
- Ben Ayade (Cross River)
- Dave Umahi (Ebonyi)
- Mohammed Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa)
- Yahaya Bello (Kogi)
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Cost of hiring jets revealed
According to the findings by Daily Trust, a private jet charter costs between $7,000 (over N4m at 580/$) to $10,000 (N5.8m) per hour depending on the size of the plane.
An operator whose name was not mentioned says it could be higher when one requests for a bigger luxury jet, which could carry up to 11 passengers like Challenger or Beechcraft Hawker with up to 13 passenger capacity.
In addition, a charter Embraer ERJ 145 for instance, with a 50-passenger capacity, could even cost more depending on the number of waiting hours at the destination airport.
Also, it was gathered that in line with the industry requirement, the private jet operators charge 3,000 dollars per hour, depending on the airline after landing at the airport.
“If it is a two-leg trip – to and fro, you will pay 3,000 dollars per hour as landing and parking charges. It would start reading after the first three hours. The charges vary from airlines,” an aviation expert was quoted to have said.
Wike, Tambuwal compete for trips, visit 20 states
It was gathered that as at Thursday, May 19, Governor Wike has visited 20 states including Kaduna, Edo, Kogi, Lagos, Katsina, Kano, Ekiti, Ondo and Cross River all by air using private jets.
It is however not clear whether he is chattering the planes or using those belonging to Rivers state.
Like his Rivers state counterpart, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state has visited 20 states.
Tambuwal, who is also eyeing the PDP presidential ticket has been to Taraba, Borno, Yobe, Kogi, Niger, Gombe, Kaduna and Zamfara States.
The Sokoto governor has also flown to Plateau, Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Imo, Nasarawa, Kebbi, Kogi, FCT, Ogun and Osun States.
Fayemi visits 16 states
On his part, the Ekiti state governor, Kayode Fayemi, has visited 16 states in the course of his presidential campaigns.
The states visited by Fayemi are; Bauchi, Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba, Kano, Nasarawa, Benue, Kebbi, Sokoto, Rivers, Anambra, Ogun, Osun and Ondo.
Bala Mohammed visits 12 states
The Bauchi state governor, Bala Mohammed.
Mohammed has visited FCT, Anambra, Enugu, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Nasarawa, Oyo, Kaduna, Niger, Jigawa, Taraba and Katsina.
Udom visited six states
So far, the Akwa Ibom state governor, Emmanuel Udom, has visited six states including Plateau, Katsina, Edo, Oyo, Cross River and Gombe.
He is one of the 15 contenders cleared for the PDP presidential primaries.
Governors with no established media trips
Meanwhile, Daily Trust stated there was no media tally on Governors Ayade, Badaru, Bello, and Umahi’s trips.
It also added that it could also not establish the number of trips embarked upon by the Cross River, Jigawa, Kogi and Ebonyi states governors.
2023: I’m PDP presidential candidate, Rivers governor declares
In another report, Governor Wike has declared himself the presidential candidate ahead of the party’s primaries scheduled to hold on May 29.
Wike made the declaration on Sunday, May 8, at a special thanksgiving service to mark last Friday’s Supreme Court judgement that returned 17 oil wells to Rivers state.
The governor stated that conspiracy from PDP members, including members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, will not stop him from winning the 2023 presidential election.
Source: Legit.ng
