The donation of seven luxury sport utility vehicles to selected youth leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has sparked criticism over the ruling party’s spending priorities amid persistent economic hardship.
The controversy followed the release of a video by the APC National Youth Leader, Dayo Israel, showing the presentation of seven 2026 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado SUVs to selected youth leaders to support grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Israel subsequently thanked the First Lady for supporting the party’s youth wing.
Oluremi Tinubu later confirmed that she donated the vehicles to the APC National Youth Wing for mobilisation activities.
However, the development has attracted criticism from Nigerians who questioned the decision to provide expensive vehicles to political loyalists while many households continue to struggle with the cost of food, healthcare, rent and other basic necessities.
Among those who criticised the move was political economist Pat Utomi, a chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), who questioned the contrast between the luxury vehicles and the financial challenges confronting Nigerian soldiers.
“Nigerian soldiers are being paid peanuts as salaries, yet an APC youth leader is flaunting SUVs worth billions of naira,” Utomi wrote on X.
In another post, Utomi questioned whether the resources used to acquire the vehicles could have been deployed to provide emergency medical services, asking how many ambulances could have been purchased with the money.
Other commentators also criticised the donation, arguing that it appeared inconsistent with calls for Nigerians to endure the sacrifices associated with the Federal Government’s economic reforms.
Seun Durojaiye, in a post on X, drew attention to the difficulties faced by families struggling to afford food and essential medicines, pay rent and secure employment.
Another commentator, A. Adebanji, who posts as @prinxe_B, described the development as “peak (of) insensitivity”.
“At a time when Nigerians are struggling with the effects of reforms, you chose to flaunt SUVs for youth leaders. What exactly is the public supposed to make of this?” he asked.
Adebanji argued that the public display of expensive vehicles could undermine efforts to persuade Nigerians to remain patient with the government’s economic policies.
“You cannot preach sacrifice to the people while flaunting privilege in their faces,” he wrote.
He further warned that the controversy could provide opposition parties with additional ammunition ahead of the 2027 elections.
The debate comes amid continuing concerns over the cost of living, despite recent improvements in some of Nigeria’s key economic indicators.
According to figures from the National Bureau of Statistics, headline inflation fell to 14.63 per cent in September 2026 from 15.39 per cent in August.
Food inflation, however, edged up slightly to 19.59 per cent from 19.57 per cent in the preceding month, highlighting the continued pressure on household budgets.
Although a decline in the annual inflation rate indicates that prices are increasing at a slower pace, it does not necessarily mean that the prices of goods and services have returned to previous levels.
The burden remains particularly severe for low-income households, which spend a significant proportion of their earnings on food and other essential needs.
The Tinubu administration has defended its economic reforms, arguing that a return to a blanket petrol subsidy would recreate fiscal pressures, encourage smuggling and undermine public finances.
The government has maintained that sustaining the reforms while investing in targeted assistance, infrastructure and economic opportunities offers a more viable path to recovery.
Opposition figures, however, have continued to question when the benefits of the reforms will become more evident in the daily lives of ordinary Nigerians.
They argue that improvements in government revenue, foreign reserves and economic growth must translate into tangible relief for households facing high food prices, transportation costs, healthcare expenses and housing bills.
