A fresh political disagreement has erupted between the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, following their contrasting positions on Nigeria’s economic difficulties and the performance of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Festus Keyamo challenged Atiku’s criticism of the Federal Government, drawing attention to the liquidation of Nigeria Airways in 2004 and the alleged failure to settle the outstanding entitlements of its former employees during the administration in which the former vice-president served.
The minister argued that Atiku should consider his own record in government before condemning the current administration, particularly over issues affecting the aviation sector.
The exchange followed a video message released by Atiku on Wednesday, October 14, in which he highlighted the economic pressures confronting Nigerians, including rising living costs, hunger, insecurity and the growing difficulty of meeting basic household expenses.
Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), painted a picture of families struggling to cope with the prevailing economic situation.
He also called on eligible voters to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and prepare to participate in the 2027 general elections.
Atiku highlights economic hardship facing Nigerians
In his address, the former vice-president focused on the daily challenges confronting different segments of the population, arguing that the prevailing circumstances had made ordinary living increasingly difficult.
He highlighted the concerns of parents struggling to provide meals for their children, pensioners facing difficult choices between purchasing food and paying for medication, and young workers whose earnings are being stretched by rising transport costs, rent and other expenses.
Atiku also raised concerns about kidnappings and violent attacks, presenting insecurity as another major problem requiring urgent attention.
His message encouraged registered voters to exercise their democratic rights in 2027, suggesting that participation in the electoral process would give Nigerians an opportunity to demand a change in political leadership.
However, Keyamo responded by shifting attention from the current economic situation to the record of the administration in which Atiku served as vice-president under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Keyamo revisits controversial Nigeria airways liquidation
In his response, Keyamo accused Atiku of hypocrisy, insisting that the former vice-president should not discuss the shortcomings of the present government without addressing decisions taken during his own time in office.
The minister specifically cited the liquidation of Nigeria Airways in September 2004, an event he said left thousands of employees without jobs and created lasting financial difficulties for affected families.
Keyamo maintained that the former workers were left with unpaid pensions and gratuities amounting to billions of naira. He alleged that the administration in which Atiku served failed to adequately address their outstanding entitlements.
“Your Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, this is hypocrisy at its peak! Let me just talk only about the sector that I head, Aviation,” Keyamo wrote.
The minister subsequently accused the Obasanjo administration of leaving former Nigeria Airways employees in distress following the airline’s liquidation.
“In September, 2004, when you were Vice-President, your Government woke up one morning and liquidated Nigeria Airways, throwing thousands of Nigerians out of jobs and into sorrow and pain,” he stated.
He added that the affected workers were not paid their pensions and gratuities, describing the alleged failure to settle the obligations as an additional hardship for people who had already lost their livelihoods.
Keyamo’s remarks placed the airline’s troubled history at the centre of his disagreement with Atiku, arguing that the former vice-president’s role in the government of that period should form part of any assessment of his criticism of the current administration.
Tinubu administration’s ₦36 billion payment claim
Defending the Tinubu government, Keyamo claimed that the President had approved and released ₦36 billion to address the outstanding entitlements of former Nigeria Airways workers.
According to the minister, the payment was intended to provide relief to beneficiaries who had waited for years to receive their outstanding benefits.
Keyamo further claimed that some former employees had begun receiving payment notifications and that the workers’ union had recognised Tinubu for addressing the issue.
“Twenty-two years later, after many of them have died out of frustration, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is now clearing the mess you left behind,” he wrote.
The minister added that the beneficiaries had started receiving alerts and expressed appreciation to the President.
“They have started receiving alerts and praying for Mr. President. In fact, the President was given an Award for this by the workers’ union a few weeks ago,” Keyamo stated.
He used the claimed payment to question Atiku’s criticism of the administration, arguing that the present government was addressing an issue that had remained unresolved for more than two decades.
“Yet you sit down there and pontificate?” Keyamo asked.
The minister’s claim about the ₦36 billion release and the progress of payments to former employees could not be independently established from the information contained in his statement and requires separate verification.
Minister questions Atiku’s role in Obasanjo administration
Beyond the Nigeria Airways controversy, Keyamo challenged Atiku’s account of his involvement in the Obasanjo administration, accusing him of taking credit for its achievements while distancing himself from decisions that attracted criticism.
The minister argued that Atiku could not selectively associate himself with the administration when discussing its successes and disown responsibility when addressing controversial policies.
“When it is convenient for you, you claim some credit for the Obasanjo-Atiku government and when not convenient, you say Obasanjo was in charge and not you as Vice-President,” Keyamo wrote.
He also suggested that younger Nigerians who were unfamiliar with the history of Nigeria Airways might not understand the circumstances surrounding its liquidation and the subsequent dispute over workers’ benefits.
“It’s only the younger ones who don’t know your history you can attempt to hoodwink, but we will expose you to them,” the minister added.
Keyamo further accused Atiku of using elaborate political rhetoric to advance his presidential ambition, insisting that his previous record in government should be examined alongside his present criticism.
“You cannot disguise your inordinate ambition in a cloud of rhetorical gibberish,” he stated.
He concluded by describing what he considered Atiku’s inconsistency as “the proper posturing of a con artist.”
The exchange reflects the competing arguments likely to feature prominently in the political debate ahead of the 2027 general elections.
While Atiku has focused on the economic pressures and security concerns confronting Nigerians, Keyamo has challenged him to account for decisions taken during his time in government.
The dispute has also revived attention on Nigeria Airways’ liquidation and the longstanding issue of compensation for its former employees, with Keyamo presenting the Tinubu administration’s claimed intervention as evidence of its efforts to resolve an inherited problem.
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