The Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, has demanded that former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, tender a public apology to airport staff and pay a N25,000 fine for wrongful parking at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Keyamo said he instituted an internal inquiry after Obi alleged a few days ago that the tyres of his car were “unjustly” clamped at the airport, insinuating a “persecution agenda” by the Federal Government. The Minister said politics aside, every Nigerian is entitled to fair treatment under the law, hence the need to verify the claim.
According to Keyamo, CCTV footage from the airport shows that Obi arrived at the domestic wing on Saturday, July 4, 2026, at exactly 8:28 p.m. in a vehicle driven by a policeman. After Obi and two other occupants entered the terminal, the driver parked the vehicle “almost blocking the entrance” and also went inside, leaving the car unattended.
The Minister stated that airport rules require drivers to remain behind the wheels in the drop-off zone. He added that at about 8:32 p.m., the policeman returned briefly to the vehicle before going back inside. It was at this point that airport security staff clamped the tyres, with no one inside the car.
Keyamo further claimed that when the policeman discovered the clamped tyres, he called Obi, who then spoke with the airport manager. “Mr. Peter Obi then introduced himself and spoke with the manager, peddled his ‘influence’ and requested for the release of the vehicle. His vehicle was then released without him paying the necessary fine,” the Minister said.
He described the 30 minutes the vehicle spent unattended in a prohibited zone as “a security risk at an airport by global best practices.” Keyamo dismissed Obi’s claim that other offenders were also on the premises that day as “completely false,” adding that the matter had already been resolved by airport authorities before Obi took it to the media.
The Minister said what emerged was “a clear case of an opposition candidate trying to whip up unnecessary sentiments for a wrong he committed with his driver.” He noted that as someone aspiring to be President, Obi “must live above board” and not seek to blackmail ordinary workers doing their jobs.
Consequently, Keyamo made two demands: that Obi tender “an unreserved, public apology to those hardworking, ordinary Nigerian workers at the airport” and that he voluntarily return to the airport to pay the N25,000 fine for wrongful parking. The Minister attached the CCTV footage to his statement and warned that if the demands are not met within one week, he will direct the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, to take further steps.
