The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development has accepted an offer by Nnaemeka Ikerionwu to pay the ₦25,000 fine imposed on the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, over an alleged violation of airport parking regulations.
Earlier, the Minister had given Obi a seven-day ultimatum to publicly apologise to airport authorities and settle the ₦25,000 fine for allegedly breaching parking rules at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
The directive came after Peter Obi, during a viral podcast interview, alleged that he may not survive to contest the 2027 presidential election, claiming he had been subjected to a pattern of intimidation and harassment by government authorities.
As part of his claims, the former Anambra State governor alleged that his vehicle was clamped at the Abuja airport while other vehicles parked in the same area were left untouched.
In response, the Minister rejected Obi’s allegation and released CCTV footage, which he said showed the circumstances surrounding the alleged parking violation.
The incident sparked widespread public debate, with many of Obi’s supporters accusing the Federal Government of politically targeting the opposition figure ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Amid the controversy, a letter shared on X by public affairs commentator @Onsogbu showed that Nnaemeka Ikerionwu had written to the Minister, apologising over the incident and offering to pay the ₦25,000 fine on Obi’s behalf.
Reacting, Keyamo urged him to “proceed to see the Director of Commercial and Business Development for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN and he will be directed on the mode of payment of the fine for the offender”.
Keyamo said the ministry had exposed what he described as Peter Obi’s false narrative by releasing footage of the airport incident, adding that the NDC presidential candidate should be more cautious and verify his claims before making them publicly in the future.
“Now that we have burst his bubble, next time, @PeterObi should think twice before making outlandish claims of being targeted at our airports or anywhere for that matter in order to get ‘sympathy votes’.
“Nigerians have become too politically savvy to fall for such cheap political gimmicks from presidential candidates that emerged from miracle centres”, he added.
BACKSTORY:
The controversy began after Peter Obi alleged during a recent podcast interview that he was being subjected to intimidation and harassment, claiming that his vehicle was clamped at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja while other vehicles parked in the same area were left untouched. The former Anambra State governor cited the incident as part of what he described as a pattern of unfair treatment against him and his associates.
In response, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, dismissed the allegation, insisting that Obi’s vehicle was sanctioned for violating the airport’s parking regulations. To support his position, the minister released CCTV footage, which he said showed the circumstances surrounding the incident, and subsequently gave Obi a seven-day ultimatum to apologise to airport authorities and pay a ₦25,000 fine.
The development generated widespread public debate, with supporters of the NDC presidential candidate accusing the Federal Government of politically targeting the opposition figure, while others argued that airport regulations should apply equally to all road users regardless of political affiliation.
Amid the controversy, Nnaemeka Ikerionwu wrote to Keyamo, apologising over the incident and volunteering to pay the ₦25,000 fine on Obi’s behalf. Responding to the gesture, the minister accepted the offer and maintained that the release of the CCTV footage had clarified what transpired, urging Obi to be more cautious before making similar allegations in the future.
