Keyamo Reacts to Peter Obi's Harassment Claims
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has issued a strong rebuttal against Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, demanding a public apology and payment of a N25,000 fine for violating parking regulations at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. The demand follows Obi's earlier accusations that the Federal government was persecuting him and using airport officials to harass him.
In a statement released on Friday night, July 10, Keyamo revealed that an internal investigation, relying on the airport's 24-hour CCTV surveillance system, captured the entire incident Obi described as harassment. According to Keyamo, the footage shows 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. Obi and two other occupants alighted and entered the terminal building, after which the police driver parked the vehicle in a drop-off zone, “almost blocking the entrance,” before also leaving the vehicle unattended and entering the terminal.
Airport Regulations and Security Risks
The minister 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 security risks. According to Keyamo, the police driver briefly returned to the vehicle at about 8:32 p.m. to retrieve an item before leaving it unattended again. Airport security personnel subsequently clamped the vehicle’s tyres. Keyamo emphasized that no one was inside the vehicle at the time, and officials were unaware it belonged to Obi.
Keyamo alleged that the driver 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. The minister stated that the matter had been put to rest, but Obi decided to go on air to render a “false narrative” just to score cheap political points. For this, Keyamo insisted Obi must face the consequences of his actions.
Keyamo's Demands and Ultimatum
Keyamo made two specific demands: first, that Obi tender an unreserved, public apology to the hardworking airport staff; second, that Obi voluntarily return to the airport and pay the appropriate fine of N25,000 for wrongful parking, for which he used “influence peddling” to bully his way out. Keyamo warned, “If these demands are not met within one week, I will be giving the necessary directives to the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to take the next steps against him.”
Keyamo's full statement included a detailed timeline from the CCTV footage, noting that the vehicle was parked unattended in a prohibited zone for about 30 minutes, constituting a security risk by global best practices. He dismissed Obi's excuse that other offenders were present that day as completely false, stating that such an excuse cannot justify an individual aspiring to be President of Nigeria. The minister attached the CCTV footage to his statement for public scrutiny.
