Keyamo releases CCTV footage, challenges Peter Obi’s persecution claims

Keyamo releases CCTV footage, challenges Peter Obi’s persecution claims

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has asked the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 election, Peter Obi, to publicly apologise to airport officials and pay a ₦25,000 parking fine over an incident at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, warning that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) could take further action if he fails to comply within one week.

The minister issued the warning after ordering an internal investigation into Obi’s allegation that officials at the Abuja airport harassed him as part of what he described as political persecution by the Federal Government.

In a statement released on Friday night, Keyamo said the investigation relied on footage from the airport’s 24-hour Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance system, which he said captured the entire sequence of events that led to the clamping of the vehicle conveying Obi.

According to the minister, the CCTV footage showed that on Saturday, July 4, 2026, Obi arrived at the domestic wing of the airport at about 8:28 p.m. in a vehicle driven by a police officer.

He said Obi and two other occupants immediately entered the terminal building, while the police officer parked the vehicle in the designated drop-off area before leaving it unattended and entering the terminal, contrary to airport regulations.

Keyamo explained that the drop-off zone is designed only for brief passenger drop-offs and that drivers are required to remain inside their vehicles at all times while using the area.

He said leaving any vehicle unattended within the zone constitutes a security risk and violates internationally accepted airport safety procedures.

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According to the minister, the police driver briefly returned to the vehicle at about 8:32 p.m. to retrieve an item before leaving it unattended again.

He said airport security personnel subsequently clamped the tyres of the vehicle after observing that it had remained unattended in the restricted area.

Keyamo stressed that airport officials who carried out the enforcement action did not know the vehicle belonged to Obi because there was no occupant inside when it was clamped.

The minister alleged that after the police officer discovered the vehicle had been immobilised, he contacted Obi, who then spoke directly with the airport manager and requested that the vehicle be released.

According to Keyamo, the vehicle was eventually released without payment of the prescribed ₦25,000 fine for violating airport parking regulations.

He argued that the matter had effectively been resolved until Obi later publicly alleged that he had been deliberately targeted by airport authorities because of his political status.

“As Minister of Aviation, I felt a moral duty to investigate and authenticate the claim made by Mr Peter Obi that the tyres of his car were unjustly clamped, suggesting a persecution agenda against him by the Federal Government,” Keyamo said.

“Luckily enough, the entire Abuja airport is covered by CCTV cameras operating 24 hours a day.”

The minister maintained that the footage contradicted Obi’s account and showed that airport officials merely enforced established security regulations applicable to every airport user, regardless of status or political affiliation.

He further alleged that Obi used his influence to secure the release of the vehicle without paying the required fine and later attempted to portray the enforcement action as political persecution.

Keyamo therefore demanded that Obi publicly apologise to airport workers whom he said were unfairly accused of victimising the former Anambra State governor.

He also asked Obi to voluntarily return to the airport and pay the ₦25,000 parking penalty.

According to the minister, failure to comply within one week would leave him with no option but to direct the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to take appropriate administrative action.

“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,” he stated.

The controversy began after Obi alleged that airport officials clamped the vehicle conveying him while other improperly parked vehicles were left untouched.

The former Anambra State governor argued that the action reflected selective enforcement and formed part of a broader pattern of intimidation directed at opposition figures.

Obi also expressed concern over what he described as the shrinking democratic space in Nigeria and urged public institutions to remain impartial in carrying out their responsibilities.

As of the time of filing this report, Obi had not publicly responded to Keyamo’s latest statement, the CCTV footage released by the Ministry of Aviation or the minister’s demands for an apology and payment of the parking fine.

The incident has generated widespread debate across political and public circles, with supporters of both men offering differing interpretations of the CCTV footage and the circumstances surrounding the enforcement action.

While some observers argue that airport regulations should be applied equally to every Nigerian without regard to political status, others have called for an independent review to determine whether the enforcement process was carried out fairly and consistently.

The development has further intensified political exchanges ahead of the 2027 general election, with analysts saying the dispute reflects the increasingly charged political atmosphere as parties prepare for the next presidential contest.

Attention is now focused on whether Obi will respond to the minister’s ultimatum or whether FAAN will proceed with any formal administrative measures over the incident.

Keyamo releases CCTV footage, challenges Peter Obi’s persecution claims