Tinubu walks to office, eats once daily and avoids lavish lifestyle – NRS boss Adedeji

The Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), Zacch Adedeji, has said President Bola Tinubu does not live an extravagant lifestyle despite the privileges of his office.

Adedeji made the claim in an interview with Channels Television on Sunday while responding to questions about the lifestyles of political office holders amid economic hardship and concerns over government spending. He stated that the President often walks from his residence to his office and uses a vehicle only when travelling to the airport. He also claimed that Tinubu eats only once a day and has not travelled outside Nigeria in the past three months.

“Mr President goes from home to office on foot, not even driving except when he is going to the airport. I don’t know where you see the convoy,” Adedeji said. On reports concerning luxury vehicles, including Escalades, in the presidential convoy, he argued that such access was unremarkable given the office. “How much is an Escalade that the president of Nigeria cannot afford? Please don’t embarrass this country.”

Adedeji dismissed suggestions of lavish living, saying the President remains focused on official duties. “What is living large? In the last months, he has not even left the shores of this country, trekking and working. If you go there now, you will see him review one document or the other.” He further questioned how often Tinubu attends social events, arguing that his public activities do not indicate excess. “The president eats once in a day. How many parties have you seen him at in the last three years?”

The remarks form a direct defence of the President’s personal habits against a backdrop of public scrutiny over official expenditure and the economic pressures facing ordinary Nigerians. By emphasising walking, limited meals and restricted foreign travel, Adedeji seeks to separate the institutional privileges of the office from the individual’s daily routine. Whether the characterisation alters public perception will depend less on the specific claims and more on how consistently official spending and convoy practices align with the image of restraint being projected.