Aviation Minister, Keyamo, gives Peter Obi one week to apologise, pay ₦25,000 parking fine

Michael Olumide

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has called on former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to publicly apologise to airport personnel and pay a ₦25,000 fine over the clamping of his vehicle at the domestic wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, following an internal investigation into the incident.

The Minister said he ordered an internal inquiry after Obi alleged that the tyres of his vehicle were unjustly clamped at the Abuja airport, describing the action as part of a persecution campaign by the Federal Government.

According to the Minister, the investigation relied on CCTV footage from the airport, which he said operates round-the-clock surveillance, to establish the sequence of events surrounding the incident.

He stated that the footage showed Obi arriving at the domestic terminal of the airport on Saturday, July 4, 2026, at about 8:28 p.m. in a vehicle driven by a police officer. Obi and two other occupants reportedly entered the terminal building, while the police driver parked the vehicle in the designated drop-off zone before also leaving the vehicle unattended.

The Minister explained that airport regulations permit only brief stops at the drop-off area and require drivers to remain behind the wheel while waiting.

He said the vehicle remained unattended for several minutes before the driver briefly returned to retrieve an item and left again.

According to the statement, airport security personnel subsequently clamped the vehicle’s tyres because it had been abandoned in a restricted area, stressing that no one was inside the vehicle at the time and that officials were unaware it belonged to Obi.

The Minister further alleged that when the police driver later discovered the clamp, he contacted Obi by telephone and handed the phone to an airport manager.

He claimed Obi identified himself and requested that the vehicle be released, after which it was allegedly released without payment of the prescribed parking violation fine.

He maintained that the vehicle remained unattended in the prohibited zone for approximately 30 minutes, describing the situation as a security risk that violated established airport safety procedures and international best practices.

Rejecting Obi’s earlier claims of victimisation, the Minister said the incident had initially been resolved by airport authorities and would have ended there if Obi had not publicly alleged political persecution.

He accused the former Anambra State governor of attempting to gain political sympathy by presenting what he described as a false account of the incident.

Consequently, the Minister demanded that Obi issue an unreserved public apology to airport workers whom he said were unfairly portrayed as persecutors while simply carrying out their lawful duties.

He also asked Obi to voluntarily return to the airport and pay the ₦25,000 fine for the parking violation, alleging that he had previously avoided the penalty through influence.

The Minister warned that if Obi failed to apologise and pay the fine within one week, he would direct the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to take further action in accordance with the law.

The statement added that CCTV footage of the incident had been attached to support the findings of the investigation and to allow the public to assess the events independently.