By Habeeb Irewole
The National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dayo Israel, has deleted a social media post showing seven brand-new Toyota Land Cruiser Prado SUVs presented to selected party youth leaders for election mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Israel shared a video of the vehicles on his X account on Sunday, saying they were provided to support the mobilisation activities of the beneficiaries.
“Today, I presented brand new 2026 Prado to my committed selected youth leaders to aid their election mobilisation activities,” he wrote.
He also thanked First Lady Oluremi Tinubu for her “continuous support to the party structure” under his leadership.
“The party is supreme and that supremacy will show in our action in this election period. We will deliver polling unit by polling unit,” he added.
However, the post triggered criticism from Nigerians, who questioned the decision to distribute expensive vehicles for political mobilisation amid the country’s economic difficulties.
Some social media users contrasted the reported vehicle presentation with the financial challenges facing ordinary Nigerians and public institutions, including health workers who have raised concerns about their working conditions and remuneration.
One user, @iamchibuzoree, questioned the apparent availability of funds for the vehicles while healthcare workers and other Nigerians continued to face economic hardship.
The user estimated that the seven vehicles could cost more than ₦1 billion and argued that the money could have been directed towards healthcare, food assistance and student loans.
Another user, @ayshaHamman, questioned how many primary healthcare centres could be established with the amount spent on the vehicles.
Similarly, @ogundamisi criticised the display, describing it as evidence of a disconnect between political leaders and citizens struggling with the rising cost of living.
The reactions continued to spread on X, with some users drawing comparisons between the vehicle presentation and President Bola Tinubu’s calls for Nigerians to endure economic hardship.
Israel deletes post
Israel deleted the post about three hours after publishing it, following the backlash. However, screenshots and recordings of the video continued to circulate on social media.
As of the time of this report, the APC youth leader had not publicly explained why he removed the post.
It was also unclear who financed the vehicles, their actual purchase price, or whether they were acquired with party funds, private donations or through another arrangement.
The controversy comes as political parties and their leaders begin preparations for the 2027 general elections, with mobilisation and grassroots engagement expected to feature prominently in their campaigns.
The distribution of the vehicles has raised questions among critics about the priorities of political organisations and the transparency surrounding resources deployed for election mobilisation.
