Comedian and social media personality, Freedom Okpetoritse Atsepoyi, popularly known as Mr Jollof, has defended the viral Toyota Prado vehicles reportedly earmarked for the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign mobilisation, claiming they were donated by wealthy individuals supporting President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Mr Jollof made the remarks in a video circulating on Tuesday, dismissing allegations that public funds were used to purchase the vehicles.
He maintained that individuals who had benefited from Tinubu’s administration were contributing their personal resources to support the President’s political ambition.
The comedian claimed that some wealthy supporters had donated several vehicles, including Toyota Hiace buses, to facilitate the party’s campaign activities across the country.
Mr Jollof further claimed that an individual had purchased more than 20 brand-new Toyota Hiace buses for the campaign, alleging that the person had spent over ₦3bn on buses to support the election.
The comedian accused critics of spreading misleading information about the source of funding for the vehicles, insisting that the donations were legitimate contributions from private individuals.
He also urged supporters of political candidates to contribute their resources towards their preferred candidates’ campaigns.
He warned against portraying the vehicles as evidence of public fund diversion, arguing that individuals had the right to use their personal wealth to support political campaigns.
The controversy followed a social media post by the APC National Youth Leader, Dayo Israel, on X, showing Toyota Prado vehicles reportedly intended for the party’s campaign mobilisation.
The post was subsequently deleted, triggering speculation and debate among Nigerians over the source of funding for the vehicles.
While some questioned whether public funds had been used to purchase the vehicles, Mr Jollof maintained that they were donations from individuals supporting Tinubu.
However, his claims about the source of funding and the alleged donations were not independently verified in the report.
