Ima Niboro, a former presidential spokesperson, has stated that the acquisition of the contentious presidential yacht dates back to the inception of the Nigerian Navy.

Niboro explained that former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan were both presented with the opportunity to procure a presidential yacht, but their responses differed significantly from the Bola Tinubu administration.

In a statement, Niboro emphasized that Jonathan declined the offer of the presidential yacht from the Navy, opting instead to instruct them to utilize the allocated funds for the restoration of their aging naval fleet.

“The issue came up under President Olusegun Obasanjo. He rejected it and reportedly directed the navy to convert it to a special purpose gun boat,” he said.

“Under President Jonathan, it came up again, and the president rejected it and directed the navy to seek a virement from the National Assembly and use the N3.3 billion budget to rebuild its fleet.”

President Tinubu has has also distanced himself and his administration from it. However, the Navy has confirmed delivery of the yacht.

“I think it is time to ask the people at the navy to desist from this issue of presidential yacht which somehow has come up to embarrass successive presidents,” Niboro said.

“Yesterday it was Jonathan, and I recall how much effort we had to put in to distance the president from it 13 years ago. Today, the president’s media team is once again working frenetically to distance the current president from it.

“Someone at the navy needs to take a look at this issue of presidential yachts that no president wants, but which rears up to embarrass successive administrations,” he added.