Sowore Accuses Nigerian Government Of Staging Presidential Aircraft Seizure To Tactically Launch Tinubu’s N150Billion New Jet
The court order restricts the movement, sale, or purchase of the jets until Zhongshan receives the awarded amount, leaving the Nigerian government facing consequences for the actions of its subnational entity.
Omoyele Sowore, the convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, has alleged that the reported seizure of Nigeria’s presidential jets by Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, a Chinese company, was a staged event.
According to Sowore, the seizure was orchestrated to garner sympathy for the new presidential jet recently acquired by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress raised questions about the release of one of the three presidential aircraft seized by a French court due to a dispute between a Chinese firm and the Ogun State government.
The Chinese firm attributed the release to a gesture of goodwill ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.
However, Sowore expressed skepticism in a post on his X account on Friday, wondering why the Chinese company is selectively choosing which jet to use for President Tinubu’s ‘medical trip’ from Abuja to France.
He wrote, “There is something fishy going on with these Presidential Jet seizures in France.
“It looks like this part was arranged to launch the new Presidential Jet with “sympathy.”
“Suddenly, this Chinese company is picking and choosing which jet could pick @officialABAT up in Abuja to France on an apparent medical trip.
“Clearly staged!”
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SaharaReporters had reported that a Chinese firm, Zhongshan, had secured a court order to seize three Nigerian presidential aircraft in a dispute stemming from the termination of its export processing zone management contract by the Ogun State government in 2016.
The seized aircraft, part of Nigeria’s presidential fleet, include a Dassault Falcon 7X at Le Bourget airport in Paris, a Boeing 737, and an undelivered Airbus 330 at Basel-Mulhouse airport in Switzerland, which was purchased by Nigeria but not yet delivered.
A French court authorised the seizure due to the ongoing contractual dispute between Zhongshan and the Ogun State government.
The seizure is a result of the government’s failure to honour a $74.5 million award granted to Zhongshan by an independent arbitral tribunal, chaired by the former President of the UK Supreme Court.
The court order restricts the movement, sale, or purchase of the jets until Zhongshan receives the awarded amount, leaving the Nigerian government facing consequences for the actions of its subnational entity.
In a sudden turn of events, the Chinese firm Zhongshan Fucheng announced on Friday the release of one of the three Nigerian presidential aircraft a court had earlier seized in its favour.
In a statement, the company recognised the significance of the aircraft for this diplomatic engagement and took steps to ensure its availability, thereby facilitating the meeting.
The statement reads, “Zhongshan has consistently sought to act reasonably and fairly in the course of a legal dispute with Nigeria which was not of its making.
“It has now been made aware that an Airbus A330, currently detained in France as a result of a French court order obtained by Zhongshan, is needed for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to travel to a scheduled meeting with President Macron of France early next week.
“As a gesture of goodwill, Zhongshan has lifted the seizure of that aircraft immediately. This will allow it to be used for the President’s trip.”
However, the Chinese company has said it is still open to discussions with the Nigerian government, seeking a swift and reasonable resolution.
On July 15, 2024, SaharaReporters reported that Tinubu’s administration had acquired a luxury Airbus A330 aircraft for presidential use, despite criticism from various sources.
The report noted that the aircraft was in France and had been spotted at an advanced stage of preparation. The plane had been assigned a tail registration that featured the seal of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It was reportedly ready for delivery.
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The aircraft in question is an ACJ330-200, VP-CAC (msn 1053), registered as 5N-FGA.
It features a bedroom with an en-suite bathroom at the front, followed by an office and a conference and dining room. It also has an airline-style first-class and economy seating at the rear.
The report noted that informed sources from international aviation firms and news sites also indicated that as of early afternoon Nigerian time on July 15, 2024, the plane had been flown from Germany to an airport in Saint Louis, France.
SaharaReporters on June 28 reported that the Nigerian government planned to spend over N150 billion on a new presidential jet, a move that sparked controversy.
The proposed expenditure comes under scrutiny as the nation grapples with economic challenges and record inflation.
