Yacht in France with Nigerian Flag Doesn’t Belong to Tinubu, Says Presidency

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

The Presidency has reacted to reports making the rounds regarding a yacht spotted with the Nigerian flag in St-Tropez, a coastal town in France.

The reports circulating on social media claimed that a “presidential yacht belonging to the Nigerian government is being used for vacation at St Tropez.”

But a presidential spokesman on Digital and New Media, Otega Ogra, debunked the reports Via his X handle, saying ‘the yacht belongs to a private individual and not President Tinubu or the Nigerian Navy” as speculated on social media.

Otega said flags used by the president or armed forces do not contain the coat of arms like the one on the yacht.

“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,” Ogra said on Saturday.

“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,” the statement clarified.