Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has given Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, a one-week ultimatum to publicly apologise to airport officials and pay a N25,000 fine for wrongful parking at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, warning that failure to comply would prompt further action by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
The minister’s directive follows an internal investigation ordered after Obi alleged that he was unfairly targeted by airport authorities when his vehicle was immobilised with a wheel clamp during a visit to the airport. Obi had described the incident as another instance of persecution by the Federal Government.
In a statement issued on Friday, Keyamo said he personally directed an inquiry into the matter to establish the facts, insisting that political considerations were set aside to ensure fairness and accountability.
According to the minister, a review of CCTV footage from the airport showed that the incident occurred on Saturday, July 4, 2026, when Obi arrived at the domestic terminal at 8:28 p.m. in a vehicle driven by a police officer.
Keyamo said the footage showed Obi alighting from the vehicle with two other occupants before entering the terminal, while the police driver left the vehicle parked in a restricted drop-off area in a manner that almost obstructed the terminal entrance.
The minister explained that the driver briefly returned to the vehicle a few minutes later to retrieve an item before leaving it unattended again, after which airport security officials clamped the vehicle’s tyres.
He stressed that the vehicle was empty when the enforcement action was taken.
According to Keyamo, when the police driver later discovered that the tyres had been clamped, he was directed to the airport manager’s office, where he contacted Obi by telephone.
“When the Policeman returned again and discovered the tyres were clamped, he was directed to an office and upon getting there, he called Mr. Peter Obi on his phone and gave the phone to the 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 stated.
Keyamo said the vehicle remained parked in the prohibited zone for approximately 30 minutes, describing the situation as a security concern that contravenes international airport safety standards and global best practices.
He also dismissed Obi’s claim that several other vehicles were similarly parked in the area, saying the assertion was not supported by the CCTV footage reviewed during the investigation.
The minister argued that airport authorities had considered the matter closed after releasing the vehicle but accused Obi of reviving the incident publicly by presenting what he described as a misleading account intended to score political points.
“Therefore, he must also face the consequences of his actions,” Keyamo said.
The Aviation Minister consequently demanded that the former Anambra State governor issue “an unreserved, public apology” to airport personnel whom he accused of unfairly portraying as political persecutors.
“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’,” the statement read.
Keyamo also insisted that Obi should return to the airport voluntarily to pay the statutory N25,000 penalty for violating airport parking regulations.
“That Mr. Peter Obi voluntarily goes back to the airport and pay 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.”
The minister warned that if Obi fails to meet both demands within one week, he would instruct the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to commence appropriate action in line with its regulatory powers.
