The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has demanded a public apology and a N25,000 fine from Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over the clamping of his vehicle at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Keyamo’s response follows comments made by Obi during an interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, in which the former Anambra State governor alleged that the Federal Government was deliberately frustrating him and cited the airport incident as an example.
Obi said officials clamped his vehicle despite other vehicles being parked in the same area, suggesting the action formed part of a pattern of intimidation against him.
In a statement posted on X on Friday, Keyamo said he ordered an internal investigation into Obi’s claims and reviewed CCTV footage from the airport.
According to the minister, the footage showed that Obi’s vehicle was left unattended for about 30 minutes in a designated drop-off zone, contrary to airport regulations.
“The airport rule is that, apart from the fact that it is a drop-off zone, a driver must remain behind the wheels of the vehicle for it to be tolerated for some time within that zone,” Keyamo said.
He maintained that airport officials were unaware the vehicle belonged to Obi when they clamped its tyres.
“In doing this, contrary to the claims by Peter Obi, nobody was inside the car and so nobody knew whether it was his car,” he stated.
Keyamo also alleged that after the vehicle was clamped, Obi spoke with the airport manager by telephone and requested that it be released without paying the prescribed penalty.
“Mr. Peter Obi then introduced himself and spoke with the manager, peddled his ‘influence’ and requested for the release of the vehicle. His vehicle was then released without him paying the necessary fine,” he claimed.
Describing Obi’s account as false, the minister called on the former presidential candidate to publicly apologise to airport workers “whom he sought to blackmail as his ‘persecutors'” and voluntarily pay the N25,000 fine for wrongful parking.
He warned that if Obi failed to comply within one week, he would direct the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to take further action.
Keyamo also released two CCTV videos alongside his statement, saying they captured the events surrounding the incident. The footage showed Obi’s vehicle parked in an area where two other vehicles had also been parked earlier.
However, the minister maintained that Obi’s vehicle was clamped because it was left unattended in violation of airport rules.