The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has demanded that the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, apologise to airport officials and pay a N25,000 fine over an alleged parking violation at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Keyamo made the demand in a statement posted on his X platform on Friday, following an internal inquiry he said was instituted to verify Obi’s claim that his vehicle’s tyres were “unjustly” clamped at the airport.
The minister said the investigation, supported by CCTV footage from the airport, showed that Obi’s vehicle was parked unattended in a restricted area, leading airport security personnel to clamp the tyres.
According to Keyamo, Obi arrived at the domestic wing of the Abuja airport on July 4, 2026, and left the vehicle after being dropped off by a police driver.
He alleged that the driver later returned to the vehicle briefly before leaving it unattended again, prompting airport security officials to enforce the parking regulation.
Keyamo said the vehicle was eventually released after the driver contacted Obi, who spoke with an airport manager and requested the release of the car.
He claimed the appropriate fine was not paid before the vehicle was released.
The minister said leaving an unattended vehicle in a restricted airport zone for about 30 minutes constituted a security concern under international airport safety practices.
He accused Obi of presenting the incident as a case of political persecution, saying the former Anambra State governor should have allowed the matter to be resolved through the appropriate channels.
“This is a clear case of an opposition candidate trying to whip up unnecessary sentiments for a wrong he committed with his driver,” Keyamo said.
He added that Obi’s position as a presidential aspirant required him to uphold the law and set an example.
Keyamo subsequently demanded that Obi issue a public apology to airport workers whom he said were only carrying out their official duties and return to the airport to pay the N25,000 fine for the alleged parking violation.
“If these demands are not met within one week, I will be giving the necessary directives to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to take the next steps against him,” he said.
Obi had earlier alleged that the clamping of his vehicle’s tyres at the airport was unjustified, describing it as part of a wider pattern of actions against him by the Federal Government.
