The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has criticised Peter Obi over his claim that Nigeria would have been significantly wealthier if successive governments had kept public funds in banks to generate interest.
Keyamo, in a post on X, described the former Anambra State governor’s argument as unintelligent and claimed that his approval ratings had declined.
“This dumbness is beyond measure. I really don’t know whether to laugh or to cry. No wonder his approval ratings have plummeted so badly,” the minister wrote.
He added, “Nigeria did not just dodge a bullet; it ducked a massive howitzer!”
Obi, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, made the remarks during a radio interview in Nasarawa State on Wednesday.
He argued that Nigeria could have accumulated substantial wealth if public office holders had consistently preserved public funds and allowed them to earn interest rather than mismanage the country’s resources.
“I wish everybody in this country left money in the bank; they have interest. Nigeria would have been so rich that we don’t know what to do with money,” Obi said.
The former governor also discussed his administration’s approach to publicising government projects, explaining why it did not prioritise elaborate ceremonies and television coverage for projects funded with public money.
According to him, the public could see the results of government activities without the need for extensive publicity.
“We did what we were doing with public money, so the public already see us working, so why are we going to do the ceremony or showing it on TV? Maybe I was wrong, but that was what happened,” he said.
Keyamo’s response followed the comments, with the minister using the exchange to challenge Obi’s position on public finance management and question his political standing ahead of the 2027 elections.
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