Professor Pat Utomi has challenged the All Progressives Congress (APC) over its distribution of luxury SUVs to selected youth leaders, questioning the party’s spending priorities amid concerns over soldiers’ welfare and Nigeria’s economic hardship.
Utomi, a chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), said the reported cost of the vehicles raised questions about the country’s spending priorities, particularly when military personnel were receiving what he described as meagre salaries.
In a post on X on Sunday, he wrote: “Nigerian soldiers are being paid peanuts as salaries, yet an APC youth leader is flaunting SUVs worth billions of naira.”
He added that the development was difficult to reconcile with previous government explanations about limited funds.
In another post, Utomi questioned whether the money spent on the vehicles could have been redirected towards critical public services, particularly emergency healthcare.
“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 said.
The criticism followed a video shared by APC National Youth Leader, Dayo Israel, showing brand-new 2026 Toyota Prado SUVs he said were presented to selected youth leaders to support mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Israel said the vehicles were given to committed youth leaders to strengthen their election activities, adding that the party intended to pursue its mobilisation efforts down to polling-unit level.
He also acknowledged the support of First Lady Oluremi Tinubu for the party’s structure under his leadership.
The video, which was subsequently deleted, triggered criticism on social media, with Nigerians questioning the timing of the distribution against the backdrop of rising living costs and economic pressures.
Utomi’s intervention has widened the debate beyond the vehicles themselves to the competing demands on public resources, including security personnel’s welfare, emergency medical services and political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.