..Says airport CCTV captures Obi
By Eshioromeh Sebastian
Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has given former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, a one-week ultimatum to tender a public apology to airport workers and pay a N25,000 fine for wrongful parking at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The ultimatum follows Obi’s recent claims that his vehicle was “unjustly” clamped at the airport in pursuit of a “persecution agenda” against him by the Government.
Keyamo, in a detailed statement released on Friday, said the entire incident was captured by airport CCTV cameras, contradicting Obi’s narrative.
The Minister explained that he instituted an internal inquiry after Obi publicly alleged that the clamping of his car tyres at the airport was politically motivated.
The controversy began when Obi, during an interview on with journalist Chude, claimed that officials at the airport locked his car while other vehicles parked in the same area were left untouched.
He alleged that when he identified himself, the person in charge said he did not care.
Obi used the incident as part of a broader claim that the government was frustrating his activities and targeting opposition figures, adding that he might “not even be alive” to contest the 2027 presidential election.
The Presidency, through presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, had earlier dismissed Obi’s claims as “false and misleading,” describing them as a “fabricated narrative” aimed at attracting undue sympathy.
Onanuga suggested the airport incident may have resulted from a breach of parking regulations rather than any form of government intimidation.
According to Keyamo, the CCTV recordings established the following facts.
On Saturday, July 4th, 2026, Obi arrived at the domestic wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at exactly 20:28, driven by a policeman.
He alighted with two other occupants and went into the terminal building.
The police driver parked the vehicle, almost blocking the entrance, and also went into the terminal.
Keyamo noted that the airport rule requires drivers to remain behind the wheels of their vehicles within the drop-off zone, yet the tyres were not immediately clamped.
The policeman returned to the vehicle at about 20:32, collected something, and went back into the building, leaving the vehicle unattended.
At that point, airport security staff clamped the tyres of the car.
“Unknown to Mr. Peter Obi, the entire airport is covered by CCTV cameras, so the whole incident was captured on camera,” Keyamo said.
“In doing this, contrary to the claims by Peter Obi, nobody was inside the car, and so nobody knew whether it was his car (not that it should matter, anyway).”
When the policeman returned and discovered the tyres clamped, he was directed to an office.
He called Obi, who then introduced himself to the manager and requested the release of the vehicle.
“Mr. Peter Obi then introduced himself and spoke with the manager, peddled his ‘influence’, and requested the release of the vehicle.His vehicle was then released without him paying the necessary fine”, the minister said.
Keyamo noted that the vehicle was parked unattended in the prohibited zone for about 30 minutes, which he described as a security risk at an airport.
Describing the incident as “a clear case of an opposition candidate trying to whip up unnecessary sentiments for a wrong he committed with his driver,” Keyamo said the excuse given by Obi that there were other offenders on that day cannot be justified.
“The excuse which Mr. Peter Obi gave that there were other offenders too on that day (which is false) cannot be an excuse for an individual aspiring to be President of Nigeria,” he said.
“He must live above board.”
The Minister also accused Obi of making political capital out of a matter that had been put to rest by airport authorities.
“This is a matter that was not even mentioned at all by the airport authorities and had been put to rest, but Mr. Peter Obi decided to go on air and make political capital out of it,” Keyamo said.
“Therefore, he must also face the consequences of his actions.”
Keyamo’s Demands on Obi
The Minister made two demands on Obi.
First, he said Obi must tender “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’.”
Second, he said Obi must voluntarily go 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.”
Keyamo gave Obi one week to comply with the demands.
He warned that failure to do so would result in directives to the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria to take further steps against him.
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