The Nigerian Presidency has officially distanced itself from a viral video showing a yacht flying the Nigerian flag in St. Tropez, a coastal town in southern France.
The video, which circulated widely on social media, sparked speculation that the yacht was connected to the Nigerian government or President Bola Tinubu.
In response to the controversy, Otega Ogra, Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Digital and New Media, issued a statement on Saturday, September 7, via his X (formerly Twitter) page. Ogra clarified that the 42-meter Benetti yacht, which had been the subject of intense scrutiny, is privately owned and has no affiliation with the Nigerian government or the president.
“There have been false claims circulating that a private individual’s yacht spotted in St. Tropez is a Nigerian government yacht. Here are some points to consider to discern the truth,” Ogra wrote.
Ogra further explained that the yacht has been in private ownership for the past five years since its construction. He also pointed out that it is common practice for luxury yachts to display the flag of both the owner’s country and the country of registration.
Ogra explained that the official Nigerian flag is Green-White-Green, without a coat of arms, contradicting what was seen in the video. “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 any symbols in the center. Placing anything in the center of the flag is a clear deviation,” Ogra stressed.
He urged the public to disregard misinformation linking the yacht to the Nigerian government or President Bola Tinubu.
