“WASTEFUL SPENDING”: NDC BLASTS APC OVER ₦1BN PRADO SUVS FOR YOUTH LEADERS

The Nigeria Democratic Congress has accused the All Progressives Congress of prioritising the lavish lifestyles of politicians over the welfare of ordinary Nigerians, following the distribution of brand-new 2026 Toyota Prado SUVs to selected party youth leaders ahead of the 2027 elections.

The criticism was made in a post on X, where the opposition party estimated that seven of the vehicles shown in a video posted by APC National Youth Leader Dayo Israel would cost over ₦1 billion, ValidViewNetwork reports.

THE ESTIMATE

The NDC said the average cost of a brand-new 2026 Toyota Prado was ₦145 million.

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“In this video, we counted seven such vehicles, and the number could be even higher. The total cost of these seven vehicles alone amounts to ₦1,015,000,000,” the party said.

It accused the Tinubu administration of hypocrisy.

“While the rudderless, clueless, and ruinous administration of President Bola Tinubu has been asking Nigerians to endure the pains of its wicked and cruel reforms, this is how taxpayers’ money is being spent,” the NDC said.

“The wasteful APC-led administration is funding the lavish lifestyles of politicians while ordinary Nigerians wallow in poverty. We cannot continue like this” .

The party urged Nigerians to vote out the Tinubu administration in 2027, saying its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, was committed to reducing the cost of governance.

“Our presidential candidate is strongly committed to cutting the cost of governance.

If you want a government that will judiciously manage the resources of our dear country, vote for His Excellency, Peter Obi, CON, for a new and working Nigeria for all, and not for a corrupt few,” the NDC said.

ISRAEL’S POST

The controversy began when Israel posted a video showing the vehicles, saying they were presented to selected youth leaders to support their election mobilisation activities.

“Today, I presented a brand-new 2026 Prado to my committed selected youth leaders to aid their election mobilisation activities,” he wrote.

Israel also expressed appreciation to First Lady Oluremi Tinubu for her continued support for the party’s structure under his leadership.

“The party is supreme, and that supremacy will show in our action in this election period, we will deliver polling unit by polling unit,” he added.

The video was later deleted, but screenshots and reactions had already circulated widely on social media.

THE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

The posts cited did not establish whether the SUVs were purchased with public funds or party resources.

The NDC’s estimate of ₦1.015 billion was based on its stated average price of ₦145 million per vehicle, and it counted seven vehicles in the video.

The actual cost and the source of funding remain unclear .

WHY IT MATTERS

The controversy has renewed debate over political spending, the cost of governance and the use of resources for election mobilisation as parties prepare for 2027.

For the APC, the timing is awkward. The party has spent months telling Nigerians that the economic reforms are necessary and that there is no money to spare.

Then its youth leader posts a video of brand-new Prado SUVs.

For the NDC, the video is a gift. It allows the opposition to contrast the government’s austerity rhetoric with the reality of political spending.

The SUVs have been distributed. The video has been deleted. But the question remains: whose money paid for them? ValidViewNetwork reports.