The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has called on former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to publicly apologise to airport personnel and pay a ₦25,000 penalty for what he described as a breach of airport parking regulations at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
In a statement issued on Friday, Keyamo said the demand followed an internal investigation ordered by his office after Obi alleged that his vehicle was unfairly clamped at the airport as part of what he described as a campaign of persecution by the Federal Government.
According to the minister, the inquiry reviewed CCTV footage from the airport, which he said operates round-the-clock surveillance, and established that Obi’s vehicle was left unattended in a designated drop-off zone for about 30 minutes, contrary to airport safety regulations.
Keyamo explained that the vehicle, driven by a police officer, arrived at the domestic terminal at about 8:28 p.m. on Saturday, July 4, 2026. He said after dropping off Obi and two other occupants, the driver parked close to the terminal entrance and left the vehicle unattended while entering the terminal building.
The minister stated that although the police driver briefly returned to the vehicle to retrieve an item, he again abandoned it, prompting airport security personnel to clamp the tyres in line with standard operational procedures.
He stressed that the enforcement officers acted without knowledge of the vehicle’s owner and were merely carrying out their lawful responsibilities.
He further alleged that after discovering the vehicle had been clamped, the police driver contacted Obi, who subsequently spoke with the airport manager by telephone and requested the release of the vehicle.
According to Keyamo, the vehicle was released without payment of the prescribed ₦25,000 penalty.
Describing unattended vehicles in airport drop-off zones as a significant security concern in line with international aviation safety standards, the minister maintained that the incident had been resolved administratively until Obi publicly alleged that he had been deliberately targeted.
Keyamo accused the former presidential candidate of attempting to generate public sympathy by portraying the enforcement action as political persecution, insisting that available CCTV evidence contradicted Obi’s claims.
He said airport workers who carried out the enforcement deserved commendation rather than public criticism, noting that they acted professionally and in accordance with established regulations.
The minister therefore demanded that Obi issue an unreserved public apology to the airport officials involved and voluntarily return to pay the outstanding ₦25,000 fine for the parking violation.
Keyamo warned that if the demands were not complied with within one week, he would direct the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria to initiate further action in accordance with the law.
He reiterated that no individual, regardless of political status or public office sought, should be above the law, stressing that the principle of equality before the law must apply to all Nigerians.
