Keyamo Asks Obi to Apologise, Pay ₦25,000 Over Airport Parking Violation

By Opeyemi Adelakun

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has asked former presidential candidate Peter Obi to publicly apologise to airport officials and pay a ₦25,000 fine over an alleged parking violation at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Keyamo made the demand after an internal review into Obi’s complaint that his vehicle was unfairly clamped at the airport.

According to the minister, findings from the inquiry, supported by CCTV footage, showed that the vehicle was left unattended in a restricted parking area, prompting airport security personnel to enforce existing regulations by immobilising it.

He explained that Obi arrived at the domestic terminal on July 4 and was dropped off by a police driver, who allegedly left the vehicle in a prohibited location. The driver reportedly returned briefly before leaving again, after which security officials clamped the vehicle.

The minister said the vehicle was later released after the driver contacted Obi, who reportedly spoke with an airport official to facilitate its release. He, however, maintained that the prescribed parking penalty was not paid before the vehicle was released.

Keyamo described the incident as a security concern, noting that leaving an unattended vehicle in a restricted airport zone violated standard safety procedures observed at international airports.

He criticised Obi for portraying the development as political victimisation instead of allowing the matter to be handled through established procedures.

The minister insisted that public office holders and political leaders should respect the law and lead by example.

He therefore asked Obi to apologise to airport personnel for what he described as an unfair public accusation and to return to settle the ₦25,000 parking fine.

Keyamo warned that if the demands are not met within one week, he would direct the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to take appropriate action.

Obi had earlier alleged that the clamping of his vehicle was unjustified and linked the incident to what he described as continued harassment by the Federal Government.