Obi got away with lies in 2023; Nigerians ready to fact-check him — Keyamo

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has said Nigerians are now prepared to scrutinise claims made by the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, ahead of the 2027 election.

Keyamo made the comment in a post on X on Thursday amid the ongoing controversy between Obi and the Anambra State Government over the financial records of his administration as governor.

The minister dismissed suggestions that the repeated attention on Obi amounted to an obsession with the former Anambra governor, saying the scrutiny was necessary to test the accuracy of his claims.

“I see some suggestions that everyone is ‘obsessed’ about Peter Obi because we are always talking about him. I am sorry, but they miss the point,” Keyamo wrote.

He alleged that Obi made false claims during the 2023 election campaign but was not subjected to sufficient scrutiny at the time.

“When someone lies per second, you also have to fact-check him per second. He got away with the lies in 2023, but this time Nigerians are ready to fact-check every claim of the ‘yes-daddy’ man,” the minister said.

Keyamo’s comments came as Obi and the Anambra State Government continue to trade claims over the former governor’s financial record.

The state government has said some loans contracted during Obi’s tenure remain outstanding and are still being serviced, while also challenging his claim that N2.13 billion was left in a First Bank account for the Oko and Umuchiana erosion project.

Obi had maintained that he left office without outstanding debts, unpaid salaries, pensions, gratuities or obligations to contractors for duly executed projects.

Keyamo said the volume of public discussion around Obi was directly connected to the claims he makes.

“Therefore, to put it simply, the amount of time we talk about Peter Obi is directly proportional to the amount of lies he tells,” he added.