The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has given the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, a one-week ultimatum to publicly apologise to airport officials and pay a N25,000 fine over what the minister described as a wrongful parking violation at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Keyamo issued the demand in a statement released late on Friday after ordering an internal investigation into Obi’s recent allegation that his vehicle was unjustly clamped at the airport in what he described as an attempt to frustrate him because of his political activities.
The minister said the investigation, which included a review of the airport’s Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) footage, showed that Obi’s claims did not reflect what actually happened.
According to Keyamo, the incident occurred on Saturday, July 4, 2026, at about 8:28 p.m. when Obi arrived at the domestic terminal of the airport in a vehicle driven by a police officer.
The minister explained that after dropping Obi and two other passengers at the terminal, the police driver parked the vehicle in a designated drop-off area and left it unattended while entering the terminal. He said this action violated airport regulations that prohibit vehicles from being left unattended in such locations.
Keyamo said the CCTV footage showed that the driver briefly returned to the vehicle before leaving it unattended once again. It was during this period, he said, that airport security personnel clamped the vehicle in line with standard operating procedures.
He insisted that the airport officials were unaware that the vehicle belonged to Obi and only carried out their duties based on the parking violation.
“On Saturday, July 4, 2026, Mr. Obi arrived at the domestic wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja at exactly 8:28 p.m., driven by a policeman,” the minister stated.
He added that when the vehicle was clamped, nobody was inside it, contrary to Obi’s earlier claim.
“At this point, the dutiful airport security staff came over and clamped the tyres of the car. In doing this, contrary to the claims by Peter Obi, nobody was inside the car and so nobody knew whether it was his car,” Keyamo said.
The minister further alleged that after the driver returned and discovered that the vehicle had been clamped, he contacted Obi by telephone. Obi was then said to have spoken directly with the airport manager and requested that the vehicle be released without paying the prescribed fine.
According to Keyamo, the request was granted.
He claimed that Obi used his influence to secure the release of the vehicle instead of following the normal procedure applicable to every airport user.
The minister also argued that leaving a vehicle unattended in a restricted airport area for about 30 minutes created a serious security concern.
He said airports all over the world enforce strict rules on unattended vehicles because they could pose safety and security risks.
“It is important to note that the time the vehicle was parked unattended in that prohibited zone was about 30 minutes, which constitutes a security risk at an airport by global best practices,” Keyamo stated.
He accused Obi of attempting to create public sympathy by presenting the incident as political persecution rather than admitting that airport regulations had been violated.
According to the minister, the facts established by the investigation showed that airport officials simply performed their duties without political bias.
“What has emerged from this is a clear case of an opposition candidate trying to whip up unnecessary sentiments for a wrong he committed with his driver,” he said.
As part of his demands, Keyamo called on Obi to publicly apologise to airport workers whom he said had been unfairly portrayed as persecutors while they were merely carrying out their lawful responsibilities.
He also asked Obi to voluntarily return to the airport and pay the N25,000 penalty for the parking violation.
According to him, no individual, regardless of political status or public profile, should be above the law.
“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’.
“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,” Keyamo stated.
The minister warned that if Obi failed to meet the demands within one week, he would direct the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to begin further legal or administrative action.
“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 added.
The latest development follows Obi’s earlier public allegation that the APC-led Federal Government was targeting him because of his political activities.
Obi had claimed that his vehicle was locked at the Abuja airport and suggested that the incident formed part of efforts to intimidate and frustrate him.
His allegation generated widespread debate on social media and attracted reactions from supporters and political observers, with many calling for an independent investigation into the incident.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria is responsible for managing the country’s major airports and enforcing safety and security regulations. Airport rules prohibit drivers from leaving vehicles unattended in designated drop-off and pick-up areas because such actions can disrupt traffic flow and create potential security threats.
The dispute between Keyamo and Obi adds to the growing exchanges between members of the Federal Government and opposition figures ahead of the next round of political activities. In recent months, opposition politicians have repeatedly accused the government of using state institutions to intimidate critics, while government officials have maintained that public agencies are simply carrying out their lawful responsibilities without political interference.
As of the time of filing this report, Obi had not publicly responded to Keyamo’s latest demands or the findings of the ministry’s investigation.