The unresolved entitlements of former Nigeria Airways workers have become a fresh point of confrontation between Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, with both politicians trading arguments over Nigeria’s economic hardship and the record of past administrations.

Keyamo accused Atiku of distancing himself from decisions taken under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in which he served as vice-president, while criticising President Bola Tinubu’s handling of the economy and insecurity.

The minister made the remarks in a post on his X account on Wednesday, following Atiku’s criticism of the rising cost of living and deteriorating security conditions across the country.

At the centre of Keyamo’s response was the liquidation of Nigeria Airways in September 2004 and the outstanding pensions and gratuities of its former employees, which he said the Tinubu administration was now addressing.

Keyamo claimed that Tinubu had approved and released N36 billion to settle the former workers’ entitlements, adding that some beneficiaries had begun receiving payment notifications and that their union had acknowledged the intervention.

He argued that Atiku should address the legacy of the Obasanjo administration rather than focus exclusively on the difficulties confronting Nigerians under the current government.

“It’s only the younger ones who don’t know your history you can attempt to hoodwink, but we will expose you to them,” Keyamo wrote.

The minister also challenged Atiku’s position on responsibility for the decisions of the administration in which he served, accusing the former vice-president of claiming credit for its achievements while distancing himself from controversial outcomes.

“When it is convenient for you, you claim some credit of the Obasanjo-Atiku government and when not convenient, you say Obasanjo was in charge and not you as Vice-President,” he said.

Atiku’s criticism, which triggered the exchange, focused on the pressure facing Nigerian households, including the rising cost of food, healthcare and transportation, as well as persistent insecurity.

The former vice-president said pensioners, young workers and parents were struggling to cope with prevailing economic conditions, warning that hunger and fear should not become the reality inherited by the next generation.

He urged Nigerians to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), presenting participation in the electoral process as a means of demanding political change ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“Bola made life expensive. I will work to make life affordable again and restore the security every Nigerian deserves,” Atiku said.

The exchange brings the economic record of previous administrations and the Tinubu government into the emerging political contest ahead of 2027, with the two politicians offering sharply different assessments of responsibility for Nigeria’s present difficulties.

While Keyamo’s argument centres on the legacy of Nigeria Airways and the claimed payment of former workers’ entitlements, Atiku’s intervention focuses on the immediate cost-of-living crisis and insecurity confronting citizens.

The claims surrounding the N36 billion intervention and the status of payments to former Nigeria Airways employees remain central factual issues in Keyamo’s response, while the broader debate raises questions about how candidates and political parties will defend their records and proposals before voters in 2027.