The Presidency has explained the reason why a new presidential jet was procured for President Bola Tinubu.

Tinubu’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said the current jet was procured to avoid the president getting involved in a plane crash due to malfunctions.

Onanuga recalled speaking with National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, about the faulty plane and he decried the high rate of maintenance.

Featuring on Inside Sources, a programme on Channels Television, Onanuga said: “People should try to prioritise the safety of the president. I’m not sure anybody wishes for our president to go and crash in the air. We want his safety so that he can hand over to whoever wants to take over from him.”

The health state of the Presidential Air Fleet has been a source of concern of late.

In May, a faulty presidential jet stopped Vice President Kashim Shettima from attending the 2024 US-Africa Business Summit hosted by the Corporate Council on Africa.

Last December, a Falcon 900B presidential aircraft was put up for sale, with the Nigerian Air Force asking interested persons to submit their bids for the purchase of the aircraft.