Dayo Israel, the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), sparked intense public outrage after sharing and subsequently deleting a video showing a fleet of brand-new 2026 Toyota Prado SUVs.
The luxury vehicles were distributed to selected party youth leaders to aid political mobilization efforts ahead of the 2027 general election.
Many Nigerians have criticised the APC National Youth Leader for sharing the video showing seven new Toyota Land Cruiser Prado SUVs presented to selected party youth leaders.
Israel posted the video on his X account on Sunday, saying the vehicles were intended to support the mobilisation activities of the beneficiaries ahead of the 2027 general election.
“Today, I presented brand new 2026 Prado to my committed selected youth leaders to aid their election mobilisation activities,” he wrote.
He also expressed gratitude to First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu for her “continuous support to the party structure” under his leadership.
“The party is supreme and that supremacy will show in our action in this election period – we will deliver polling unit by polling unit,” he added.
The post triggered angry reactions from Nigerians, many of whom questioned the reported cost of the vehicles and the decision to deploy such resources for political mobilisation amid the economic hardship in the country.
The Toyota Land Cruiser Prado is a premium sport utility vehicle designed for both urban driving and demanding terrain.
Its features include a powerful turbocharged engine, a spacious cabin, advanced driving assistance systems and off-road technologies.
According to the Nigerian website of Toyota’s authorised distributor, CFAO Mobility, the 2.4-litre turbo-petrol Adventure version of the Land Cruiser Prado is listed at ₦160 million. In comparison, the Premium version is listed at ₦190 million. Prices may vary depending on the model and specifications.
Using the listed Adventure price as a benchmark, seven vehicles would cost approximately ₦1.12 billion.
If all seven were Premium versions at the listed price, the total would rise to ₦1.33 billion.
The actual cost of the vehicles presented by Israel has not been independently established, and the available information does not identify their exact specifications.
The figures are therefore estimates based on advertised Nigerian prices, not a verified invoice for the vehicles.
Nevertheless, the estimates indicate the financial scale of the presentation.
Using the Central Bank of Nigeria’s reported foreign exchange rate of approximately ₦1,329.51 to the dollar on September 25, 2026, the ₦160 million Adventure price translates to about $120,345 per vehicle. Seven would amount to approximately $842,415.
At the Premium price of ₦190 million, each vehicle would be worth about $142,910, bringing the total to approximately $1 million.
These dollar equivalents are calculated from Nigerian retail prices. They are not US-market sticker prices, nor do they establish the amount actually paid by whoever provided the vehicles.
The available announcement does not establish whether the vehicles were purchased by the APC, donated by a private individual, financed by the First Lady or acquired through another arrangement.
Thefrontrank reports that the presentation was linked to 2027 general election mobilisation.
That makes the intended use of the vehicles, the source of their funding and the results expected from the investment legitimate questions for the party’s leadership.
One X user, @iamchibuzoree, questioned the contrast between the vehicles and the financial difficulties facing public institutions and ordinary Nigerians.
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