Former presidential spokesperson, Ima Niboro, has said that the purchase of the controversial presidential yacht is as old as the Nigerian Navy.

According to Niboro, former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan were approached to buy a presidential yacht but reacted differently from the Bola Tinubu government.

In a statement, Niboro noted that Jonathan rejected the presidential yacht from the Navy and directed them to use the funds to refurbish their aging fleet.

“The issue came up under President Olusegun Obasanjo. He rejected it and reportedly directed the navy to convert it to a special purpose gun boat,” he said.

“Under President Jonathan, it came up again, and the president rejected it and directed the navy to seek a virement from the National Assembly and use the N3.3 billion budget to rebuild its fleet.”

Politics Nigeria reports that President Tinubu has has also distanced himself and his administration from it. However, the Navy has confirmed delivery of the yacht.

“I think it is time to ask the people at the navy to desist from this issue of presidential yacht which somehow has come up to embarrass successive presidents,” Niboro said.

“Yesterday it was Jonathan, and I recall how much effort we had to put in to distance the president from it 13 years ago. Today, the president’s media team is once again working frenetically to distance the current president from it.

“Someone at the navy needs to take a look at this issue of presidential yachts that no president wants, but which rears up to embarrass successive administrations,” he added.