Obi Must Apologise, Pay ₦25,000 or Face FAAN Action — Keyamo Issues Ultimatum

Obi Must Apologise, Pay ₦25,000 or Face FAAN Action — Keyamo Issues Ultimatum

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has issued a seven-day ultimatum to Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi, demanding a public apology and payment of a ₦25,000 fine over a parking violation at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. Keyamo’s demand follows an internal investigation he ordered after Obi publicly claimed his vehicle was unjustly clamped as part of a political persecution campaign by the Federal Government. The minister released CCTV footage which he says contradicts Obi’s account, insisting the former Anambra governor violated airport regulations and then used his influence to evade the prescribed fine. In a statement posted on his X page, Keyamo declared that what had emerged was a clear case of an opposition candidate trying to whip up unnecessary sentiments for a wrong he and his driver committed.

According to the minister’s detailed narrative, the incident occurred on July 4, 2026, and the CCTV footage tells a very specific story. Obi arrived at the domestic terminal at approximately 8:28 p.m., driven by a police officer, and entered the building with two other occupants. The police driver then parked the vehicle in a designated drop-off zone—almost blocking the entrance—and also left the vehicle unattended. The driver briefly returned at about 8:32 p.m. to retrieve an item but abandoned the vehicle again. Airport security personnel then clamped the tyres, with Keyamo insisting nobody knew the vehicle belonged to Obi at the time. When the driver discovered the clamp, he contacted Obi, who spoke with an airport manager and requested the vehicle’s release—which was granted without payment of the ₦25,000 fine. Keyamo emphasised that the vehicle remained unattended for about 30 minutes in a restricted zone, describing this as a security risk under global airport standards.

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However, the Peter Obi Media Office and the Obidient Movement have strongly rejected Keyamo’s narrative, accusing the minister of releasing poorly edited propaganda and manipulating CCTV footage to criminalise the opposition leader. They have raised several counter-claims that directly challenge the minister’s version of events. On the timing dispute, the Obidient Movement argues that timestamps on Keyamo’s own footage show Obi’s vehicle arriving at 20:28 and being clamped at approximately 20:34—six minutes, not thirty. The group accused Keyamo of zooming into the seconds display to confuse viewers into believing they were looking at the minute counter. On the identity of the driver, Obi’s spokesman, Idris Zekeri Jnr, stated that Peter Obi does not have any police or civil defence personnel attached to him in Abuja, challenging Keyamo’s reference to a “police driver”. Obi’s camp also claims the incident Keyamo publicised is entirely different from the one Obi narrated during his interview, suggesting a pattern of targeting the opposition figure. Furthermore, both the Obidient Movement and Obi’s media office insist other vehicles were parked in the same area without being clamped, pointing to selective enforcement targeting Obi. They also questioned why Keyamo showed no similar enthusiasm in investigating high-profile incidents involving Adams Oshiomhole and KWAM 1—known associates of the President.

The Presidency has weighed in on the matter, with presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga backing Keyamo’s position. Onanuga stated that the evidence completely debunked Obi’s falsehood that he was unduly targeted and persecuted, insisting that he and his police driver broke a simple parking rule at the Airport.

Keyamo has made two formal demands, warning that failure to comply within seven days would prompt him to direct the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to take further action. First, Obi must tender an unreserved, public apology to the airport workers he accused of persecution. Second, Obi must voluntarily return to the airport and pay the ₦25,000 fine for wrongful parking, which he allegedly evaded through influence peddling. The minister declared that Obi cannot be bigger than the law.

Meanwhile, legal analyst Ekemini Udim, a Senior Partner at Justice Chambers, has questioned the minister’s authority to impose a fine, arguing that Keyamo is not a court of law. Udim cited a Court of Appeal decision which held that the Federal Road Safety Commission cannot impose fines without taking offenders before a magistrate’s court, arguing the same principle should apply to FAAN. Furthermore, he noted that under the principle of criminal liability, it is the person who commits the offence that should be made to pay for the offence—suggesting that if Obi was not the driver, he cannot be held personally liable.

Obi Must Apologise, Pay ₦25,000 or Face FAAN Action — Keyamo Issues Ultimatum