The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has given the Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Peter Obi, a seven-day ultimatum to publicly apologise to airport officials and pay a ₦25,000 fine over an alleged violation of parking regulations at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
In a statement issued on Friday, Keyamo said an internal investigation, supported by CCTV footage, contradicted Obi’s claim that his vehicle was clamped as an act of political persecution.
According to the minister, the incident occurred on July 4 when Obi arrived at the airport’s domestic terminal at about 8:28 p.m.
Keyamo alleged that after Obi alighted from the vehicle, his police driver parked in a designated drop-off zone, left the vehicle unattended and entered the terminal, an action he said contravened airport parking regulations.
The minister explained that although the driver briefly returned to the vehicle, he left it unattended again, prompting airport security personnel to clamp its tyres in line with enforcement procedures.
He maintained that airport officials were unaware the vehicle belonged to Obi when the enforcement action was taken.
According to Keyamo, the driver later contacted Obi after discovering the vehicle had been clamped, following which the former Anambra State governor reportedly spoke with the airport manager and requested that the vehicle be released.
The minister insisted that the action taken by airport officials was a routine enforcement of regulations and not politically motivated, as alleged by Obi.
