Political economist and founder of the Centre for Value in Leadership (CVL), Professor Pat Utomi, has delivered a scathing criticism of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) following the distribution of high-end luxury Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) to selected party youth executives.
Utomi sharply contrasted the extravagant expenditure with the minimal remuneration paid to Nigerian soldiers fighting on the frontlines.
​The controversy escalated on Sunday, October 25, 2026, after video footage circulated widely across social media platforms showing brand-new 2026 Toyota Prado SUVs being presented to party loyalists.
The handovers were conducted by the APC National Youth Leader, Dayo Israel, who stated in his original accompanying post that the vehicles, each valued at over ₦100 million, bringing the total fleet value to an estimated ₦1.015 billion, were distributed to support election mobilisation activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
​In his post, Israel expressed appreciation to First Lady Oluremi Tinubu for her support of the party structure, declaring that “the party is supreme and that supremacy will show in our action in this election period”.
​Reacting early Sunday via his official handle on X (formerly Twitter), Professor Utomi condemned the political display as insensitive to the reality of ordinary Nigerians and security personnel suffering under severe economic reforms.
​”Nigerian soldiers are being paid peanuts as salaries, yet an APC youth leader is flaunting SUVs worth billions of Naira. At this point, they must think we are fools!” Utomi wrote.
​Utomi further questioned the public health implications of such spending, noting that the funds allocated to political fleet mobilization could have drastically improved emergency services. “Each of the SUVs in this video costs more than ₦100 million. I wonder how many world-class ambulances the millions being spent on these vehicles could buy. What a pity!” he added.
​Although Dayo Israel subsequently deleted the promotional video following intense public outcry, civic groups and opposition organisations quickly joined Utomi’s rebuke.
​The opposition coalition group Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) issued a press statement condemning the purchase, pointing out that spending upwards of ₦1 billion on political loyalty gifts highlights a severe misplacement of national priorities.
Civil society representatives emphasized that while frontline troops confront security threats across the nation for meager pay, the public optics of political party leaders distributing luxury fleets, without disclosing the exact source of funding, erodes public trust.
