Aviation minister says CCTV footage contradicts Obi’s account of alleged harassment, warns of further action if apology and fine are not made within seven days……
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has challenged Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi to publicly apologise and pay a N25,000 parking fine over the controversy surrounding the clamping of a vehicle said to be in his convoy at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
In a statement released on Friday, Keyamo said he ordered an internal investigation after Obi alleged that his vehicle was unjustly clamped at the airport, describing the incident as part of a wider campaign of political persecution.
According to the minister, CCTV footage from the airport was reviewed as part of the inquiry, and the findings did not support Obi’s version of events.
Keyamo claimed the footage showed Obi arriving at the airport’s domestic terminal on Saturday, July 4, 2026, at about 8:28 p.m. He said the vehicle that brought the former Anambra State governor was driven by a police officer, who allegedly parked in a designated drop-off area before leaving the vehicle unattended while entering the terminal.
The minister explained that airport regulations require drivers to remain inside their vehicles in the drop-off zone and stated that the vehicle was eventually clamped only after it had been left unattended for an extended period.
According to him, the police officer later returned to the vehicle, discovered it had been immobilised, and was directed to the airport management office. Keyamo alleged that the officer contacted Obi by phone, after which the former presidential candidate spoke with airport officials and requested that the vehicle be released.
He further claimed that the vehicle was released without payment of the prescribed N25,000 penalty.
The minister maintained that the vehicle remained in the restricted area for about 30 minutes, describing the situation as a security concern that would ordinarily attract sanctions under standard airport procedures.
Rejecting Obi’s allegation of political victimisation, Keyamo argued that airport officials merely enforced existing regulations and insisted there was no evidence that Obi was specifically targeted.
He also dismissed claims that other vehicles committed similar violations without being sanctioned, describing such assertions as inaccurate.
As a result, Keyamo demanded that Obi issue an unreserved public apology to airport personnel whom he said were unfairly portrayed as persecutors while carrying out their official duties.
He also called on the former presidential candidate to voluntarily return to the airport and pay the N25,000 parking fine that he alleged was waived following Obi’s intervention.
The minister warned that if both demands are not met within one week, he would direct the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to take what he described as the appropriate next steps.
