NAF aircraft crash: SDP suspends presidential campaign

The Adebayo-Bugaje Presidential Campaign of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has suspended all national and state campaign activities for one week following the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft crash in Igbokoda, Ondo state, which claimed the lives of 25 people.

The campaign announced the suspension on Wednesday, saying the decision was taken in honour of the victims and in solidarity with the Nigerian Air Force and the wider Armed Forces of Nigeria.

The crash involved an NAF ATR-42 aircraft that went down near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ilaje local government area of Ondo state.

The Nigerian Air Force subsequently confirmed that 20 passengers and five crew members were on board, with no survivors reported.

The aircraft was undertaking a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos when the incident occurred.

Under the suspension, rallies, town hall meetings, stakeholder engagements and media appearances organised under the Adebayo-Bugaje campaign have been deferred until the one-week mourning period ends.

The campaign said its presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, and running mate, Professor Usman Bugaje, conveyed condolences to the Chief of the Air Staff, the Nigerian Air Force leadership and the families of those who died.

The campaign also called for stronger welfare protections for personnel of the Armed Forces and other security agencies. It further urged regular maintenance of military equipment and a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash, arguing that lessons from the incident should inform measures aimed at preventing similar tragedies.

The suspension comes amid wider national mourning over the crash. President Bola Tinubu has declared three days of national mourning, while the Senate also postponed its planned national security summit in honour of the victims.