MINISTER of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo has demanded a public apology from Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), regarding Obi’s assertion that his vehicle was “unjustly” clamped at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, which Keyamo labeled as false.
Mr Keyamo, in a statement posted on his X page on July 10, urged Mr. Obi to pay the N25,000 fine for violating airport parking regulations, warning that failure to comply within a week may result in additional action from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
The minister said he initiated an internal investigation following Mr Obi’s claim of political persecution.
According to Mr Keyamo, the CCTV footage from the airport revealed Mr. Obi’s vehicle was left unattended for approximately 30 minutes in a designated drop-off zone, violating airport regulations.
“Politics aside, every Nigerian is entitled to fair treatment under the law,” the minister said. He added that, “I therefore instituted an internal inquiry over the issue.”
The minister disputed Obi’s account, saying the footage showed that Mr Obi arrived at the airport on 4 July at about 8:28 p.m. and entered the terminal with two other occupants after alighting from the vehicle, which was being driven by a police officer.
According to him, the police officer also left the vehicle unattended after briefly returning to collect an item, prompting airport security personnel to clamp its tyres.
He said the officials were unaware the vehicle belonged to Mr Obi when they carried out the enforcement action.
The minister further claimed that after discovering the vehicle had been clamped, the police officer contacted Mr Obi by telephone and handed the phone to an airport manager.
Mr Keyamo claimed Mr Obi identified himself and requested the release of the vehicle, which was eventually released without payment of the prescribed fine.
He argued that leaving a vehicle unattended in a drop-off zone constitutes a security risk, particularly at an international airport.
“What has emerged from this is a clear case of an opposition candidate trying to whip up unnecessary sentiments for a wrong he committed with his driver,” Mr Keyamo said.
He dismissed Mr Obi’s claim that other improperly parked vehicles were ignored, describing the allegation as false.
The minister said Mr Obi should publicly apologise to airport personnel whom he accused of persecuting him while carrying out their lawful duties.
He also asked the former Anambra governor to return to the airport voluntarily and pay the N25,000 penalty for wrongful parking.
“If these demands are not met within one week, I will be giving the necessary directives to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to take the next steps against him,” Mr Keyamo said.
Earlier, Mr Obi, during an appearance on the With Chude podcast last week, alleged that he might not survive to contest the 2027 presidential election, citing what he described as a pattern of harassment against him and his associates.
Among the incidents he referenced was the airport episode, where he claimed his vehicle was clamped while other vehicles parked in the same area were left untouched. He also alleged that some of his associates had become reluctant to publicly associate with him for fear of government reprisal.
The Presidency rejected the allegations, saying the airport incident stemmed from a breach of parking regulations rather than any act of political persecution.
As of the time of filing this report, Mr Obi had not publicly responded to Mr Keyamo’s demands.