The African Democratic Congress has called for an audit of funds released for the maintenance of Nigerian Air Force aircraft following Monday’s crash of an ATR-42 aircraft in Igbokoda, Ondo State.
The opposition party also questioned the disparity between funds released for the maintenance of the Nigerian Air Force fleet and those released for the Presidential Air Fleet, saying the figures raised questions about the government’s funding priorities.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party commiserated with the families of those killed in the crash.
The ADC described the incident as tragic and unfortunate but said it would not pre-empt ongoing investigations into the cause of the crash.
It, however, called for the maintenance history of the aircraft and other defence equipment to form part of the investigation.
The party said official figures showed that, as of December 2025, the Federal Government had released N4.5bn, representing about 13 per cent of the N34.71bn budgeted for the maintenance of Nigerian Air Force aircraft.
By comparison, the ADC said N20.74bn was allocated for the maintenance of the Presidential Air Fleet, with N20.27bn, or 97.76 per cent, released during the same period.
The party said the figures amounted to a significant disparity in the funding of the two fleets.
“While we do not intend to prejudice ongoing investigations into the cause of this tragic crash, we believe that this sad moment also provides an opportunity to raise, yet again, questions about the non-implementation of the defence budget and the perennial neglect of military equipment,” the statement read in part.
According to the party, the maintenance funding gap should be investigated alongside other possible factors that may have contributed to the crash.
“Put simply, while the fleet that serves a handful of people in power got almost every kobo it asked for, the fleet that serves and protects 200 million Nigerians was left with crumbs,” it said.
The ADC said the issue was not about questioning the need to maintain aircraft used by the President, but about ensuring that military personnel operating under potentially dangerous conditions also had properly maintained equipment.
“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.
“Patriotism does not replace spare parts, and condolence messages do not take the place of accountability,” the party said.
The ADC urged the government to ensure that the investigation into the crash examines the aircraft’s maintenance records, defence procurement and maintenance practices, as well as budgetary releases and actual expenditure.
It specifically demanded an audit of maintenance expenditure and budgetary releases for Nigerian Air Force aircraft.
The aircraft, an ATR-42 operated by the Nigerian Air Force, crashed on Monday in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State while on a routine mission from Benin, Edo State, to Lagos. The crash prompted emergency and recovery operations at the scene.
The cause of the crash had yet to be established as of Tuesday, with authorities expected to rely on a formal investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The ADC said the investigation should therefore be allowed to run its course while ensuring that questions surrounding the funding and maintenance of military aircraft were not overlooked.
It said accountability in defence spending was essential not only to determine what happened in the Ondo crash but also to prevent similar incidents and protect military personnel involved in national security operations.
