The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has criticised the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, over comments suggesting that Nigeria could have become significantly wealthier if public funds had been left in banks to generate interest.
In a post on his X account on Wednesday, Keyamo dismissed Obi’s remarks, describing them as evidence of poor economic reasoning. He also linked the comments to what he claimed was a decline in the former Anambra State governor’s public support.
“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,” Keyamo wrote.
He added, “Nigeria did not just dodge a bullet; it ducked a massive howitzer.”
The minister’s reaction followed an interview granted by Obi to a Nasarawa-based radio station, where the former presidential candidate argued that prudent management of public funds could have significantly improved Nigeria’s financial position.
“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.
During the interview, Obi also defended his approach to governance and public communication while serving in office, explaining that he preferred to allow completed projects to speak for themselves rather than focus on publicity.
According to him, the projects executed under his administration were funded with public resources and therefore visible to the people without the need for elaborate ceremonies or television promotion.
“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.
The exchange is the latest in a series of political disagreements between leading opposition figures and members of the current administration as debates continue over economic management, governance and the country's development path ahead of future elections.
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