Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has declared that Nigerians will subject Peter Obi’s claims to tougher scrutiny ahead of the 2027 presidential election, accusing the former Anambra governor of escaping adequate fact-checking during the 2023 campaign.
Keyamo, in a Thursday post on X, said the renewed attention on Obi should not be interpreted as an ‘obsession’, arguing that public scrutiny was necessary whenever political claims were made.
‘When someone lies per second, you also have to fact-check him per second,’ Keyamo wrote, alleging that Obi ‘got away with the lies in 2023.’
The minister added that Nigerians were now prepared to examine ‘every claim’ made by the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC.
Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has declared that Nigerians will subject Peter Obi’s claims to tougher scrutiny ahead of the 2027 presidential election, accusing the former Anambra governor of escaping adequate fact-checking during the 2023 campaign.
Keyamo, in a Thursday post on X, said the renewed attention on Obi should not be interpreted as an ‘obsession’, arguing that public scrutiny was necessary whenever political claims were made.
‘When someone lies per second, you also have to fact-check him per second,’ Keyamo wrote, alleging that Obi ‘got away with the lies in 2023.’
The minister added that Nigerians were now prepared to examine ‘every claim’ made by the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC.
The state government has also disputed Obi’s assertion that he left office without outstanding debts, unpaid salaries, pensions, gratuities or contractor obligations.
Obi, however, has rejected the allegations, maintaining that his administration settled its obligations before handing over power. He has also challenged his critics to produce documentary evidence to establish otherwise.
A separate flashpoint is the N2.13 billion said by Obi to have remained in a First Bank account for the Oko/Umuchiana erosion project. Obi has maintained that the money was earmarked for the project and was left untouched for his successor. The Anambra Government has challenged that account and disputed the description and status of the funds.
The controversy has consequently shifted from a dispute over Anambra’s past finances into a broader political argument over the credibility of claims likely to feature in the 2027 presidential contest.
Keyamo said the level of public discussion surrounding Obi would continue to reflect the claims he makes.
‘Therefore, to put it simply,’ the minister wrote, ‘the amount of time we talk about Peter Obi is directly proportional to the amount of lies he tells.’
The competing claims over Anambra’s finances remain subject to examination of the underlying official records, including the debt documents and account records cited by both sides.