The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has given opposition presidential candidate Peter Obi a one-week ultimatum to publicly apologize to airport officials and pay a ₦25,000 parking fine following an incident at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
The directive follows an internal investigation ordered by the minister after Obi alleged that his vehicle was unjustly clamped as part of a campaign of political persecution. According to Keyamo, a review of the airport’s CCTV footage showed that on July 4, Obi’s vehicle, driven by a police orderly, was left unattended in the domestic terminal’s designated drop-off zone for about 30 minutes, contrary to airport security regulations requiring drivers to remain with their vehicles.
Keyamo said airport security officers clamped the vehicle because it posed a security risk and were unaware it belonged to Obi at the time. He further alleged that after the tires were clamped, Obi personally contacted an airport manager, following which the vehicle was released without payment of the prescribed fine. The minister rejected Obi’s claim of selective enforcement, insisting the officials were simply carrying out their duties in accordance with airport regulations.
The minister has demanded that Obi issue an unreserved public apology to airport workers and voluntarily return to pay the ₦25,000 fine within seven days. He warned that failure to comply would prompt the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to take further action. The incident has since sparked intense political debate, with supporters of both camps offering contrasting interpretations of the events.
