Keyamo Wants Apology and N25,000 Fine from Peter Obi over Airport Claim

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has asked Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), for a public apology. This is over Obi's claim that his vehicle was wrongly clamped at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. Keyamo called the allegation false.

In a statement on his X page on Friday, Keyamo also demanded that Obi pay a N25,000 fine for breaking airport parking rules. He warned that if Obi does not pay within one week, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) may take further action.

The minister mentioned that he ordered an internal investigation after Obi said the clamping was part of a political attack against him. Keyamo claimed CCTV footage from the airport showed Obi’s vehicle parked unattended for about 30 minutes in a drop-off zone, which is against airport rules.

"Politics aside, every Nigerian is entitled to fair treatment under the law," the minister said. He added, "I therefore instituted an internal inquiry over the issue."

Keyamo stated that the footage indicated Obi arrived at the airport on 4 July at about 8:28 p.m. He entered the terminal with two others after getting out of the car, which was being driven by a police officer. The police officer also left the vehicle unattended for a moment to get an item, which led to airport security clamping the tyres.

He explained that the officials did not know the vehicle belonged to Obi when they enforced the parking rules. The minister also claimed that once the police officer found out the vehicle was clamped, he called Obi and handed the phone to an airport manager.

Keyamo said Obi identified himself and asked for the vehicle’s release, which happened without paying the fine. He argued that leaving a car unattended in a drop-off zone creates a security risk, especially at an international airport.

"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," Keyamo said. He dismissed Obi’s claim that other wrongly parked cars were ignored, calling it false.

The minister insisted that Obi should apologize to the airport staff whom he accused of political persecution while doing their jobs. He also urged the former Anambra governor to come back to the airport and pay the N25,000 fine for wrong parking.

"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," Keyamo warned.

Before this, Obi had said on the With Chude podcast last week that he might not live to run in the 2027 presidential election. He cited what he called harassment against him and his associates. Obi mentioned the airport incident, claiming his car was clamped while others were not.

He also claimed some of his associates were afraid to be publicly seen with him due to fear of government retaliation. The Presidency rejected Obi's claims. Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, said the airport incident was due to a parking violation, not political persecution.

Obi, who was the governor of Anambra State and the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, switched to the Nigeria Democratic Congress in December 2025. He is now the party’s candidate for the 2027 election.

As of now, Obi has not publicly replied to Keyamo’s demands.