Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has asked Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, to apologise to airport officials and pay a N25,000 fine over an alleged parking violation at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Keyamo made the demand in a statement on Friday following Obi’s allegation that he was harassed by airport officials as part of a wider campaign of political persecution.
The minister said he ordered an internal investigation into the incident, relying on the airport’s 24-hour Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance system.
According to him, the footage showed that Obi arrived at the airport’s domestic terminal on July 4 at about 8:28 p.m. in a vehicle driven by a police officer.
He said Obi and two other occupants entered the terminal while the police driver allegedly left the vehicle unattended in the airport’s designated drop-off zone.
Keyamo said airport regulations require drivers to remain inside their vehicles while using the drop-off area, adding that unattended vehicles pose security risks and are liable to enforcement action.
He said the driver briefly returned to the vehicle before leaving it unattended again, after which airport security officials clamped the tyres.
According to the minister, the officers were unaware the vehicle belonged to Obi at the time.
He further alleged that the police driver later contacted Obi, who spoke with the airport manager and requested that the vehicle be released without payment of the prescribed fine.
“The vehicle was released without him paying the necessary fine,” Keyamo said.
The minister accused Obi of presenting a false account of the incident to attract public sympathy and score political points.
He demanded that Obi issue an unreserved public apology to airport workers and voluntarily pay the N25,000 penalty for the alleged parking violation.
Keyamo said if Obi failed to comply within one week, he would direct the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to take appropriate action.
Obi had earlier alleged that airport officials clamped his vehicle as part of efforts by the Federal Government to intimidate and harass him.
There was no immediate response from Obi to Keyamo’s latest statement as of the time of filing this report.
