By Kazeem Waris
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has attacked former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over his presidential ambition, describing him as a “hypocrite” and a “posturing con artist” while accusing him of failing to address the plight of former Nigeria Airways workers during his time in office.
Keyamo’s outburst followed Atiku’s address to Nigerians urging them to choose their future ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a press statement posted on his X handle, Keyamo said President Bola Tinubu was addressing the unpaid pensions and gratuities of former Nigeria Airways workers, which he alleged had been left unresolved for more than two decades.
Focusing on the aviation sector under his supervision, the minister accused Atiku of hypocrisy for promising Nigerians a better future without acknowledging the legacy of the administration in which he served as vice-president.
He said: “Your Excellency, Atiku Abubakar @atiku, this is hypocrisy at its peak! Let me just talk only about the sector that I head, Aviation.
“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. To add salt to their wounds, you refused to pay them their pensions and gratuities, running into billions of Naira.
“22 years later, after many of them have died out of frustration, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is now clearing the mess you left behind.”
Keyamo said Tinubu had approved and released N36 billion to settle the outstanding entitlements of the former workers, adding that beneficiaries had begun receiving payment alerts.
“Over a month ago, Mr. President approved and released the total sum of N36 billion to bring succour to these families. 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 said.
The minister further accused Atiku of taking credit for the achievements of the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo when convenient, while distancing himself from its decisions when criticised.
“Yet you sit down there and pontificate? It is only the younger ones who don’t know your history you can attempt to hoodwink, but we will expose you to them. You cannot disguise your inordinate ambition in a cloud of rhetorical gibberish,” Keyamo said.
He added: “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. The proper posturing of a con artist.”
Atiku, a former vice-president and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2019 and 2023 elections, is now associated with the African Democratic Congress as political alignments ahead of the 2027 elections gather momentum.
