The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called for an audit of funds allocated and released for the maintenance of Nigerian Air Force aircraft following the crash of an Air Force ATR-42 aircraft in Igbokoda, Ondo State.
The party, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the crash should prompt a broader examination of how defence maintenance budgets are implemented.
According to the ADC, the Federal Government had released only ₦4.5 billion of the ₦34.71 billion budgeted for the maintenance of Nigerian Air Force aircraft by December 2025.
The party said the amount represented 13.98 per cent of the approved allocation.
In contrast, it claimed that ₦20.27 billion had been released for the maintenance of the Presidential Air Fleet out of a ₦20.74 billion allocation, representing 97.76 per cent.
The ADC said the disparity raised questions about the priority given to military aircraft used by personnel responsible for national defence.
“The safety of the President matters. But what also matters is the safety of the pilots and airmen who put their lives on the line in defence of the country,” the party said.
It urged investigators to include an audit of maintenance expenditure and budgetary releases as part of efforts to establish the circumstances surrounding the crash.
