The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has called on the Federal Government to overhaul welfare and safety protocols for the nation’s armed forces following Monday’s fatal military aircraft crash in Ondo State.

In an official statement released by his campaign’s Head of Media and Communications, Comrade Mark Adebayo, the opposition candidate, described the crash as a “national tragedy and a monumental loss to the country.”

The disaster involved a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 jet carrying 32 people, which went down near a naval base in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State while en route from Benin to Lagos.

Expressing his deep sorrow, Prince Adebayo extended his heartfelt condolences to the Nigerian Armed Forces and the families of the victims who lost their lives in the line of duty.

He emphasized that Nigeria owes an “eternal debt of gratitude” to its military personnel, who constantly put their lives at risk to maintain peace and security across the nation.

To better protect serving personnel and their dependents, Adebayo urged the federal government to immediately implement a comprehensive insurance policy for all military members.

He stressed that such a measure is vital to ensuring that families are robustly taken care of in the event of an operational tragedy.

Furthermore, the SDP standard-bearer challenged military authorities and the government to aggressively prioritize personnel safety.

He called for an immediate upgrade to maintenance standards, demanding that all military hardware and equipment receive “state-of-the-art servicing” to prevent future avoidable disasters.

The crash has thrown the nation into mourning, with President Bola Tinubu already declaring a three-day national mourning period as air safety investigators work to determine the exact cause of the accident.

—By Victor Oriola