Minister Keyamo Orders Peter Obi to Apologise, Pay Fine Over Airport Incident

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has responded to the allegations made by the NDC Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, regarding the purported harassment he experienced at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. According to Keyamo, an investigation was conducted using the airport's 24-hour CCTV surveillance system, which revealed that Obi's vehicle was parked in a drop-off zone and left unattended, violating airport parking rules. The minister stated that on Saturday, July 4, 2026, at exactly 8:28 p.m., Obi arrived at the domestic wing of the airport in a vehicle driven by a police officer. After Obi and two other occupants alighted and entered the terminal building, the police driver parked the vehicle in a drop-off zone, almost blocking the entrance, and then left the vehicle unattended. Keyamo explained that airport regulations require drivers to remain behind the wheel while using the drop-off area, and unattended vehicles are liable to enforcement action due to the security risks they pose. The police driver briefly returned to the vehicle at about 8:32 p.m. to retrieve an item before leaving it unattended again. Subsequently, airport security personnel clamped the vehicle's tyres, and upon the driver's return, he alerted Obi, who identified himself to the airport manager and requested the release of the vehicle. The vehicle was released without payment of the prescribed fine. Keyamo alleged that Obi's actions constituted a clear case of an opposition candidate trying to whip up unnecessary sentiments for a wrong he committed with his driver. The minister demanded that Obi tender an unreserved, public apology to the airport staff and pay the appropriate fine of N25,000 for wrongful parking at the airport. If these demands are not met within one week, Keyamo stated that he would give the necessary directives to the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to take the next steps against Obi.