Professor Pat Utomi, a renowned Nigerian political economist, has strongly criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s acquisition of the armored official vehicle nicknamed “the Beast,” describing it as an inappropriate sight for anyone residing in Nigeria.
In an interview on Atlanta Discuss Channel, Utomi highlighted the mismatch between the vehicle’s capabilities and the country’s road infrastructure.
He expressed deep concern that such a costly purchase occurred in a nation still grappling with inadequate basic infrastructures, noting the vehicle’s reported price of about one billion naira.
Utomi remarked: “Bola Tinubu even bought this ‘Beast’. Nobody who lives in Nigeria should see that kind of vehicles because Nigerian roads are not even designed for such vehicles. But just in a show of power, he paid I guess a billion naira for the kind of ride the American president rolls out in.
All those show clearly where the problems are in Nigeria in terms of the consciousness of those who are in leadership positions.”
His comments underscore a broader critique of leadership priorities, where extravagant spending on high-end, heavily armored vehicles—similar to that of the U.S. presidential Cadillac One (“The Beast”)—contrasts sharply with persistent challenges like poor road networks, economic hardship, and limited public services for ordinary citizens. The armored Cadillac Escalade, which President Tinubu has used since 2023, has drawn public by scrutiny amid ongoing debates over fiscal responsibility and sensitivity to National and economic conditions.