Ondo Crash: ADC demands audit of defence, maintenance budget

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has voiced sorrow over the crash of a Nigerian Air Force (ATR-42) aircraft in Ondo State, Nigeria, calling for an examination of the "non-implementation of defence budgets required for regular aircraft maintenance." In a statement released on Tuesday in Abuja, ADC's National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, described the incident as "tragic and unfortunate" and pointed to the inadequate funding of defence budgets in the country.

The ADC noted that, while the Federal Government had only allocated N4.5 billion by December 2025, representing just 13.98 percent of the N34.71 billion budget for aircraft maintenance, a far greater amount of N20.74 billion had been released for the maintenance of the Presidential Air Fleet, of which N20.27 billion had already been disbursed, representing 97.76 percent.

The opposition party emphasized that while the safety of the President was important, the welfare of the pilots and airmen who risk their lives defending the nation is equally crucial. ADC demanded investigations into the cause of the crash and a comprehensive probe into the maintenance of defence equipment, particularly the Nigerian Air Force fleet.