Keyamo Demands Obi Apologise, Pay Airport Parking Fine
Keyamo Demands Obi Apologise, Pay Airport Parking Fine
A dispute between Festus Keyamo and Peter Obi has intensified. The Aviation Minister has accused the former Labour Party presidential candidate of misrepresenting an incident at the Abuja airport.
ABUJA, NIGERIA — Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo has demanded that Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, publicly apologise to airport staff and pay a ₦25,000 fine for alleged wrongful parking at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. The demand followed an internal inquiry ordered by the minister after Obi alleged that his vehicle was unfairly targeted by airport officials.
According to Keyamo, CCTV footage reviewed by the ministry showed that Obi arrived at the domestic terminal on July 4, 2026, at about 8:28 p.m. He said the vehicle, driven by a police officer, was left unattended in a designated drop-off zone for about 30 minutes after Obi entered the terminal. The minister stated that airport security personnel later clamped the vehicle’s tyres in line with airport regulations and that officials were unaware the vehicle belonged to Obi at the time.
In a statement, Keyamo alleged that the police driver later contacted Peter Obi, who spoke with an airport manager and requested the vehicle’s release without paying the prescribed fine. The minister said the incident did not amount to political persecution and accused Obi of presenting a false narrative. He demanded that Obi issue an “unreserved public apology” to airport workers and voluntarily pay the ₦25,000 parking fine within one week. Keyamo added that he would direct the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to take further action if the demands were not met.
The controversy followed Peter Obi’s earlier claim that the clamping of his vehicle formed part of a pattern of unfair treatment by the Federal Government. At the time of filing this report, Obi had not publicly responded to Keyamo’s latest statement or the minister’s allegations regarding the CCTV footage and the internal inquiry.
The development means the disagreement is likely to remain part of the political conversation ahead of the 2027 general election. It also highlights the importance of compliance with airport security regulations and the expectation that public officials and political leaders are subject to the same rules and procedures as other citizens.
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