By John Ogunsemore
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo SAN said the opposition coalition is deploying expired ‘419 formats’ to hoodwink Nigerians.
He added that these outdated tactics no longer fool Nigerians, who are now more politically sophisticated.
Keyamo spoke as a guest on a Channels Television programme, Sunday Politics.
The minister said, “I know them very well, and they know us very well. These tactics they are employing are expired. They are 419 formats that have been used over the years.
“I was an EFCC prosecutor. I know those formats. Nigerians know them too. You cannot deceive Nigerians with these expired formats again.”
Keyamo accused the opposition of manipulating economic data to present a false image that the Tinubu administration is failing.
“Reeling out figures, picking up isolated incidents of some indices, and using it for generalisation. Nigerians are wiser than that,” he said.
He emphasised that available data indicated that the incumbent administration is performing.
The minister said, “Inflation is coming down. The Naira has been steady. Foreign reserves are rising. Government revenues are rising.
“These are indices of a healthy economy. The trickle-down effect will soon reflect in job creation and improved living conditions.”
Keyamo noted that despite the perceived strength of the opposition coalition, the APC would edge it in the next general election because the ruling party has a better political structure.
He said, “You say they are getting stronger; is the APC getting weaker? No. We have the demography. We have the structures. We are not strangers to this game.
“They are not bringing anything new. It’s the same confused coalition the President once described as ‘a coalition of confused people.”
