Keyamo gives Peter Obi one week to apologise, settle N25,000 airport parking fine

Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development, has given Peter Obi, one of Nigeria’s leading opposition leaders, a week to publicly apologise to airport workers and pay a N25,000 fine for an alleged parking violation at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, warning that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) would be directed to take further action if he fails to comply.

The directive follows an internal investigation ordered by the minister after Obi alleged earlier this week that the tyres of his vehicle were unjustly clamped at the Abuja airport, which he described as part of a broader pattern of intimidation and persecution by the Federal Government.

Obi had recounted the incident while speaking at a public event, saying his vehicle was singled out despite other vehicles being parked in the same area. He argued that the action reflected what he called increasing harassment of opposition figures and questioned why airport officials targeted his vehicle.

However, Keyamo, in a statement issued on Saturday on his X handle, said a review of CCTV footage from the airport showed that Obi’s account was inaccurate and that airport officials merely enforced established parking and security regulations.

“PETER OBI MUST APOLOGISE TO AIRPORT STAFF AND PAY THE FINE FOR WRONG PARKING

“As the Minister of Aviation, I felt a moral duty to investigate and authenticate the claim made by opposition candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, a few days ago that the tyres of his car were ‘unjustly’ clamped at the airport, suggesting a ‘persecution agenda’ against him by the Federal Government. Politics aside, every Nigerian is entitled to fair treatment under the law.

“I therefore instituted an internal inquiry over the issue.

“Luckily enough, the entire Abuja airport is covered by CCTV cameras, real-time, 24/7. But apparently, this fact was unknown to Mr. Peter Obi. Otherwise, perhaps he would have been more circumspect before rushing to the media to cry ‘persecution,” Keyamo said

According to the minister, the footage showed that Obi arrived at the domestic terminal on July 4 at about 8:28 p.m. and entered the terminal building with two other occupants after being dropped off by a police officer who was driving the vehicle.

He said the police driver parked the vehicle in the airport’s designated drop-off zone before leaving it unattended to enter the terminal, contrary to airport regulations requiring drivers to remain with vehicles in the area.

Keyamo said the driver briefly returned to the vehicle to retrieve an item before leaving it unattended again, after which airport security personnel clamped the tyres.

He maintained that no one was inside the vehicle when it was immobilised and that airport officials were unaware the vehicle belonged to Obi, dismissing claims that the action specifically targeted the former presidential candidate.

The minister further alleged that after discovering the vehicle had been clamped, the police officer contacted Obi by telephone and handed the phone to the airport manager. According to Keyamo, Obi identified himself and requested that the vehicle be released without payment of the prescribed fine, a request that was granted.

Keyamo said the vehicle remained unattended in the restricted zone for about 30 minutes, describing the situation as a security risk that would ordinarily attract enforcement under global airport safety standards.

He accused Obi of attempting to generate political sympathy over what he described as a routine enforcement action, insisting that the airport authorities had not publicised the incident until Obi made it a public issue.

The minister consequently demanded that Obi issue an unreserved public apology to airport workers “who were simply carrying out their lawful duties” and voluntarily return to pay the N25,000 parking fine.

“In the circumstances, consistent with the principle of equality before the law, as Minister of Aviation, I make the following demands on Mr. Peter Obi:

“ That he tenders an unreserved, public apology to those hardworking, ordinary Nigerian workers at the airport, just doing their jobs dutifully and whom he sought to blackmail as his ‘persecutors’.

“That Mr. Peter Obi voluntarily goes back to the airport and pays the appropriate fine of N25,000 for wrongful parking at the airport for which he used ‘influence peddling’ to bully his way out on that day. He cannot be bigger than the law.

“If these demands are not met within one week, I will be giving the necessary directives to the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to take the next steps against him,” Keyamo added

The latest exchange marks a further escalation of the public dispute between the aviation minister and the former presidential candidate over the incident, with both sides offering sharply different accounts of what transpired. As of the time of filing this report, Obi had not publicly responded to Keyamo’s latest statement.