The Presidency has dismissed reports circulating on social media about a “presidential yacht” spotted in St-Tropez, France, claiming it belongs to the Nigerian government.
Presidential spokesman, Otega Ogra clarified that the yacht is privately owned and has no connection to President Tinubu or the Nigerian Navy.
Ogra explained that the yacht’s flag, which features a coat of arms, is different from the official Nigerian flag and those used by the President or Armed Forces.
He emphasised that the yacht has been privately owned for five years and is not uncommon for luxury yachts to fly the owner’s country flag and registration flag.
“There have been false claims circulating that a private individual’s yacht was spotted in St. Tropez is a Nigerian government yacht. Here are some points to consider in order to discern the truth:
“The 42m Bennetti yacht currently being shared online has been privately owned for around five years since it was constructed.
“It is important to note that this specific yacht has no connection or ownership ties to the Nigerian government, president or armed forces. Any claims or assertions suggesting otherwise are simply not true and inaccurate.
“It is not uncommon for luxury yachts to fly the flag of the owner’s country as well as the flag of the country in which they are registered.
“The official Nigerian flag is Green-White-Green without a coat of arms in the middle. Flags representing the Nigerian President or the Armed Forces do not contain a coat of arms in the center. Placing anything in the center of the flag is a clear deviation,” Ogra said on his X handle.
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