The Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, has called on former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi to publicly apologise to airport staff and pay a N25,000 fine over the clamping of his vehicle at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The minister said he ordered an internal investigation after Obi alleged that his vehicle was unfairly targeted and its tyres clamped as part of what he described as a campaign of political persecution by the Federal Government.

 “As the 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 at the airport, suggesting a ‘persecution agenda’ against him by the Federal Government,” the minister said.

According to the minister, the investigation relied on CCTV footage covering the airport, which he said provided a full account of the incident.

He stated that the footage showed Obi arriving at the domestic terminal on Saturday, July 4, 2026, at about 8:28 p.m. He said the vehicle, driven by a police officer, was left unattended in the airport's designated drop-off zone after the driver entered the terminal.

The minister said airport security officials later clamped the vehicle after it remained unattended in the restricted area.

 “Contrary to the claims by Peter Obi, nobody was inside the car and so nobody knew whether it was his car. Not that it should matter anyway,” he said.

He further alleged that when the police driver returned and discovered the vehicle had been clamped, he contacted Obi by telephone and handed the phone to the airport manager.

According to the minister, Obi identified himself and requested that the vehicle be released.

 “Mr. Peter Obi then introduced himself, spoke with the manager, peddled his influence and requested for the release of the vehicle. His vehicle was then released without him paying the necessary fine,” he alleged.

The minister also said the vehicle remained unattended in the prohibited zone for about 30 minutes, describing the situation as a security risk that falls short of international airport safety standards.

He rejected Obi's reported claim that other vehicles were similarly parked in the area, insisting that the investigation found no evidence to support the assertion.

Describing the matter as an attempt to gain political sympathy, the minister accused Obi of presenting a false narrative after the issue had already been resolved by airport authorities.

“What has emerged from this is a clear case of an opposition candidate trying to whip up unnecessary sentiments for a wrong he committed with his driver,” he said.

The minister demanded that Obi issue a public apology to airport staff whom he said were unfairly portrayed as persecutors and voluntarily return to pay the N25,000 penalty for wrongful parking.

 “He cannot be bigger than the law,” the minister said.

He added that if Obi fails to comply within one week, he will direct the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria to take further action.