Keyamo to Obi: Apologise to airport staff, pay N25,000 or face FAAN action

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has asked former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi to publicly apologise to airport personnel and pay a N25,000 fine for violating parking regulations at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The minister issued the demand after ordering an internal investigation into Obi’s claim that his vehicle was unjustly clamped at the airport as part of what he described as a “persecution agenda” by the Federal Government.

In a statement on Friday, Keyamo said he considered it his responsibility to investigate the allegation, stressing that every Nigerian deserved fair treatment regardless of political affiliation.

According to him, the investigation relied on the airport’s 24-hour CCTV surveillance system, which he said captured the entire incident.

Keyamo said the footage showed that on Saturday, July 4, 2026, at exactly 8:28 p.m., Obi arrived at the domestic wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja in a vehicle driven by a police officer.

He said Obi and two other occupants alighted and entered the terminal building, after which the police driver parked the vehicle in a drop-off zone, “almost blocking the entrance,” before also leaving the vehicle unattended and entering the terminal.

The minister explained that airport regulations require drivers to remain behind the wheel while using the drop-off area and that unattended vehicles are liable to enforcement action because of the security risks they pose.

According to Keyamo, the police driver briefly returned to the vehicle at about 8:32 p.m. to retrieve an item before leaving it unattended again.

He said airport security personnel subsequently clamped the vehicle’s tyres, adding that no one was inside the vehicle at the time and that officials were unaware it belonged to Obi.

“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,” Keyamo stated.

He alleged that Obi identified himself to the airport manager, requested the release of the vehicle and that the vehicle was released without payment of the prescribed fine.

The minister added that the vehicle remained unattended in the prohibited zone for about 30 minutes, describing the situation as a security risk under international airport safety standards.

Keyamo rejected Obi’s claim that other motorists also violated the parking rules on the same day, describing the assertion as false.

He further accused the former Anambra State governor of attempting to generate public sympathy by portraying routine enforcement of airport regulations as political persecution.

The minister said the matter had initially been resolved quietly by airport authorities but became public after Obi allegedly presented what he described as a false account of the incident.

Consequently, Keyamo demanded that Obi issue an unreserved public apology to the airport personnel whom he said were unfairly portrayed as persecutors while carrying out their official duties.

He also asked Obi to voluntarily return to the airport within one week to pay the N25,000 fine for wrongful parking, alleging that the former presidential candidate used influence to secure the release of the vehicle without paying the penalty.

Keyamo warned that if Obi failed to comply within the stipulated period, he would direct the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to take further action.

The minister said he had attached the relevant CCTV footage to support his account of the incident.