The donation of luxury Toyota SUVs to youth leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has sparked outrage, with opposition parties questioning the ruling party’s spending priorities amid widespread economic hardship.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) have criticised the reported vehicle gifts, arguing that the development raises questions about political privilege and the welfare of Nigerians struggling with rising living costs.
The controversy followed a video posted by APC National Youth Leader, Dayo Israel, showing seven brand-new 2026 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado SUVs presented to selected youth leaders for grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Israel subsequently thanked First Lady Oluremi Tinubu for supporting the party’s youth wing.
The First Lady confirmed that she donated the vehicles to the APC National Youth Wing for mobilisation activities.
However, the display triggered widespread criticism on social media, with Nigerians questioning the decision to provide luxury vehicles to party loyalists while many households struggle to afford food, medicines, rent and other basic necessities.
The exact purchase price and detailed funding arrangements for the vehicles were not publicly disclosed in the report.
The ADC joined the growing criticism, questioning the rationale behind the distribution and demanding transparency over the source of funding for the vehicles.
The opposition party argued that the development raised concerns about the ruling party’s priorities at a time when millions of Nigerians are battling economic hardship.
It also called for clarification on whether public resources were involved in acquiring the vehicles.
The NDC equally condemned the development, describing the reported expenditure as a misplaced priority amid the country’s economic challenges.
The party questioned the justification for spending such a huge amount on luxury vehicles for a select group of political figures when ordinary Nigerians continue to struggle with the cost of living.
The NDC reportedly estimated that the seven SUVs could cost about ₦1.015 billion, based on an estimated price of ₦145 million per vehicle.
The estimate, however, does not represent a confirmed purchase price, as the detailed cost and funding arrangements were not publicly disclosed.
Other Nigerians have also questioned whether providing luxury vehicles to selected party officials constitutes meaningful youth empowerment, arguing that employment opportunities, skills development and economic support would benefit a wider section of the population.
The backlash has placed the APC’s youth mobilisation strategy under scrutiny, with critics asking whether such expensive gifts are appropriate at a time when the government continues to urge Nigerians to endure economic reforms.
Responding to the controversy, Israel said the vehicles were gifts from donors and maintained that they were not purchased with government allocations or taxpayers’ money.
He also explained that he deleted the video amid public sensitivity surrounding the donation.
With the 2027 general elections approaching, the controversy has opened another front in the political battle over economic hardship, accountability and the privileges enjoyed by party officials.
