The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has strongly cautioned the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and other cabinet-level ministers to immediately concentrate on their official duties and desist from dabbling into premature 2027 election permutations, warning that such reckless politicking undermines governance and further aggravates the hardships being faced by Nigerians.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the rights advocacy group described as insensitive and diversionary the long political commentary made by Keyamo on his X account, where he analyzed the possible setbacks of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2027 presidential election. HURIWA said it is disturbing that a sitting minister, entrusted with the crucial mandate of managing Nigeria’s aviation and aerospace development, could devote his time to speculative political analysis while millions of Nigerians are suffocating under crushing economic policies and failing public infrastructure.

The group admonished President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call his cabinet members to order, stressing that ministers were appointed to rescue Nigeria’s collapsing economy and not to become political commentators or strategists for the ruling party. HURIWA noted with dismay that cabinet officials like Keyamo are neglecting their core responsibilities, thereby dragging the country back by over six decades through a combination of poor policy implementation and coordinated toxic taxation policies.

According to the rights group, the present administration has presided over a regime of excessive levies and charges that discourage businesses, suffocate innovation, and kill off youth entrepreneurship. It condemned the incessant hike in official fees for essential services such as international passports, business registration, and other regulatory services, lamenting that young Nigerians who aspire to travel, study, or build legitimate enterprises are being deliberately crippled by the same government that should be empowering them. HURIWA also berated the Federal Government for failing to address the unbearable interest rates charged by commercial banks, which have made access to credit facilities impossible for small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs).

The association described these policies as deliberate economic sabotage against Nigeria’s youths, who constitute the majority of the population and remain the most vibrant drivers of growth in any progressive society. HURIWA said that rather than proffer solutions, ministers in Tinubu’s cabinet appear to be more preoccupied with projecting 2027 elections, leaving Nigerians to wallow in worsening poverty, inflation, and unemployment.

“The Minister of Aviation, Mr. Festus Keyamo, has demonstrated gross insensitivity to the plight of millions of Nigerians by abandoning his duty post to engage in speculative political commentary. Nigerians entrusted him with the aviation sector, which is already struggling with exorbitant airfares, poor airport infrastructure, and lack of investment. Yet, instead of rolling out workable reforms, he is busy warning the PDP about their choice of candidates for 2027. This is an unmitigated disgrace and President Tinubu must not condone it,” the statement read.

HURIWA stressed that the aviation sector alone presents monumental challenges requiring urgent ministerial attention. Nigerian travelers face skyrocketing ticket prices, dilapidated facilities, and a regulatory environment that scares away foreign investors. These problems, the group argued, will not be solved by indulging in partisan debates but by hard work, policy reforms, and transparency. It called on Keyamo to resign his appointment if his true interest is partisan politics rather than service to the Nigerian people.

The group said it was regrettable that Tinubu’s cabinet has become notorious for a lack of focus, with key officials often dabbling in electoral propaganda instead of governance. It accused the administration of introducing policies that appear coordinated to impoverish Nigerians, citing the new wave of taxation and levies across sectors including the electricity power sector that suffers unprecedented administrative and technical deficits coupled with high tariffs for darkness charged on citizens. HURIWA argued that the decision to hike passport fees, for example, amounts to punishing citizens who already endure high inflation and joblessness. Similarly, the increase in corporate registration fees has become a stumbling block for many young entrepreneurs who seek to register their businesses and contribute to economic growth.

Furthermore, HURIWA criticized the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Finance for failing to address the punitive lending practices of commercial banks. With interest rates on loans ranging from 25 to 30 percent, the group argued, no genuine entrepreneur or small business can survive, let alone expand. The association accused the government of orchestrating a climate of despair where entrepreneurship is stifled, industries are shutting down, and talented youths are left with no option but to flee the country in search of greener pastures.

HURIWA also noted that the reckless distractions of cabinet members further expose the administration’s lack of seriousness in solving Nigeria’s existential crises. The group recalled that President Tinubu campaigned on promises of renewed hope, yet two years into his tenure, Nigerians are confronted with renewed despair. Inflation has eroded the purchasing power of citizens, insecurity continues to plague rural and urban communities, and public services remain in shambles.

The rights group called on Nigerians to hold the government accountable and resist attempts by public officials to divert attention from governance to politics. It stressed that the democratic mandate given to Tinubu and his ministers was not to plot for the 2027 elections but to rescue Nigeria from imminent collapse. HURIWA emphasized that if the administration continues on its current path of neglect, history will judge it harshly as one that squandered the hopes of millions through arrogance, incompetence, and misplaced priorities.

Concluding its statement, HURIWA reiterated its warning to Keyamo and his colleagues in the federal cabinet: “Face your jobs, deliver the dividends of democracy, or quit your offices. Nigeria is not a testing ground for politicians to rehearse future elections. The mandate you carry belongs to the people, not to your political ambitions. Enough is enough.”

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