Airport Parking Row: Nigerians Weigh In as Keyamo Gives Obi One Week to Apologise

Nigerians have taken to social media to express sharply divided opinions after the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, demanded that former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi publicly apologise to airport staff and pay a ₦25,000 fine over an alleged parking violation at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The controversy followed a lengthy post by Keyamo on his verified X account, where he said an internal investigation, backed by CCTV footage, showed that Obi’s vehicle was left unattended for about 30 minutes in a designated drop-off zone at the airport. According to the minister, airport officials clamped the vehicle in line with standard security procedures without initially knowing it belonged to the former Anambra State governor.

Keyamo alleged that Obi later contacted the airport manager, after which the vehicle was released without payment of the prescribed ₦25,000 penalty. He insisted that Obi should publicly apologise to airport workers whom he said were unfairly portrayed as persecutors simply for carrying out their duties. The minister also gave Obi one week to voluntarily pay the fine, warning that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) would be directed to take further action if he failed to comply.

The minister’s statement quickly became one of the most discussed topics on Nigerian social media, with thousands of users sharing differing views on the incident.

Supporters of Keyamo argued that public officials and political leaders should not receive preferential treatment and that airport regulations must apply equally to everyone. Many praised airport personnel for enforcing security rules and echoed the minister’s assertion that “no one is above the law.”

Others, however, defended Obi, arguing that the minister’s public response was politically motivated and unnecessary. Some questioned why an incident involving a parking violation warranted such a detailed public statement, while others maintained that the matter could have been resolved administratively rather than becoming a political controversy.

Several commentators also revisited Obi’s earlier claims that his vehicle had been unfairly clamped and that he had faced what he described as growing hostility toward opposition figures. Keyamo rejected those claims, saying the investigation found no evidence of political persecution and that airport officials acted strictly in accordance with established regulations.

Political analysts say the exchange has further intensified the rivalry between the federal government and opposition figures ahead of the 2027 political season. They note that even relatively minor incidents are increasingly becoming subjects of national political debate on social media.

As of the time of filing this report, Peter Obi had not publicly responded to Keyamo’s latest demands. It also remains unclear whether FAAN will proceed with enforcement measures if the former presidential candidate does not apologise or pay the fine within the one-week deadline outlined by the minister.