The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has attacked former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, accusing him of hypocrisy over the liquidation of Nigeria Airways in 2004 and the alleged failure to pay the entitlements of affected workers.
Keyamo recalled that Nigeria Airways was liquidated in September 2004, when Atiku served as vice-president under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, alleging that the decision threw thousands of Nigerians into unemployment and left their families in hardship.
The minister argued that Atiku’s record in government should be considered alongside his criticism of the current administration, particularly concerning the economic hardship, rising cost of living and insecurity confronting Nigerians.
Keyamo’s remarks followed a message Atiku delivered to Nigerians on Wednesday, October 14, in which the former vice-president highlighted the difficulties faced by families struggling to afford basic necessities amid worsening economic conditions.
In a video addressing Nigerians, Atiku said parents were increasingly worried about feeding their children, while pensioners were being forced to choose between buying food and obtaining medication.
He also highlighted the difficulties faced by young workers struggling with rising transport fares, rent and other living expenses, while expressing concern over persistent kidnappings and attacks across the country.
Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), urged registered voters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and use them to demand political change in the 2027 general elections.
Responding in a post on X on Wednesday, Keyamo accused the former vice-president of displaying what he described as “hypocrisy at its peak,” saying he would focus his response on the aviation sector under his supervision.
“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 alleged that the Obasanjo administration, in which Atiku served as vice-president, liquidated Nigeria Airways in September 2004, leaving thousands of workers without jobs.
“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.
Keyamo further alleged that the affected workers were not paid their pensions and gratuities, which he said amounted to billions of naira.
“To add salt into their wounds, you refused to pay them their pensions and gratuities, running into billions of Naira,” the minister added.
He argued that the Tinubu administration was now addressing the outstanding entitlements of the former Nigeria Airways workers more than two decades after the airline’s liquidation.
“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,” Keyamo wrote.
The minister claimed that Tinubu had approved and released ₦36 billion more than a month earlier to settle the outstanding payments and provide relief to the affected workers and their families.
According to Keyamo, some of the beneficiaries had started receiving payment notifications, while the workers’ union had recently honoured Tinubu in recognition of the intervention.
“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,” he stated.
Keyamo used the alleged release of the funds to question Atiku’s criticism of the Tinubu administration, arguing that the former vice-president should account for the record of the government in which he served.
“Yet you sit down there and pontificate?” the minister asked.
He also accused Atiku of attempting to mislead younger Nigerians who might not be familiar with the history of Nigeria Airways and the circumstances surrounding its liquidation.
“It’s only the younger ones who don’t know your history you can attempt to hoodwink, but we will expose you to them,” Keyamo stated.
The aviation minister further accused the former vice-president of using elaborate political rhetoric to advance his presidential ambition.
“You cannot disguise your inordinate ambition in a cloud of rhetorical gibberish,” he wrote.
Keyamo also challenged Atiku’s position on the legacy of the Obasanjo administration, accusing him of taking credit for the administration’s achievements when convenient while distancing himself from its decisions at other times.
“When it is convenient for you, you claim some credit of the Obasanjo-Atiku government and when not convenient, you say Obasanjo was in charge and not you as Vice-President,” the minister stated.
He concluded his criticism by describing what he characterised as Atiku’s political inconsistency as “the proper posturing of a con artist.”
The exchange comes amid intensifying political debate ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the economic hardship facing Nigerians, rising living costs, insecurity and the records of past and present political officeholders emerging as major issues in the contest for public support.
Keyamo’s allegations concerning the circumstances of the Nigeria Airways liquidation and the non-payment of workers’ entitlements, as well as his claims regarding the recent release of ₦36 billion, were presented in his response to Atiku. Atiku’s message, meanwhile, focused on the economic and security challenges confronting Nigerians and the need for voters to participate in the 2027 elections.