The presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has accused the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, of presenting a misleading account of a recent airport parking controversy and using the incident to target him politically.
Obi’s media office made the allegation in a statement issued on Saturday by Zekeri Idris in response to Keyamo’s demand that the opposition candidate publicly apologise to airport officials and pay a ₦25,000 fine over the alleged wrongful parking of a vehicle at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, or face further action.
The statement maintained that the incident publicised by the minister was different from the episode Obi referred to during a recent interview.
According to the media office, Obi was physically present during the incident he narrated, whereas he was not at the airport during the incident contained in the footage shared by Keyamo.
“The incident you posted is entirely different from the one Mr Peter Obi narrated in his interview. In that interview, he clearly stated: ‘I was there.’ In the incident contained in your tweet, he was not present,” the statement said.
It argued that the existence of at least two separate incidents involving vehicles associated with Obi raised questions about whether he was being subjected to selective enforcement because of his political status.
“If we now have at least two separate incidents in which vehicles associated with Mr Obi were clamped under questionable circumstances, does this not suggest a pattern of targeting an individual simply because of who he is?” Idris asked.
The statement also rejected claims that a police officer was driving Obi’s vehicle or that he enjoyed the level of official security protection ordinarily associated with a leading opposition figure.
It said Obi had neither police nor Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps personnel attached to him in Abuja and did not have a police officer serving as his driver.
“Mr Peter Obi does not have any police or civil defence personnel attached to him in Abuja, despite being entitled to VVIP protection by virtue of his status as a leading opposition figure in Nigeria. He certainly does not have a police officer serving as his driver,” the statement said.
The media office added that Obi travelled frequently across the country and had repeatedly encountered what it described as discourteous treatment from some government officials.
Obi’s team further challenged the minister’s account of how long the vehicle remained at the airport before it was clamped.
According to the statement, the entire incident—from the vehicle’s arrival to the clamping—lasted approximately five minutes, contrary to the claim that it remained there for about 30 minutes.
“The entire sequence of events you referenced, from arrival to the eventual clamping of the vehicle, lasted approximately five minutes,” the statement said.
It argued that many international airports permit brief drop-off periods and questioned the basis for the alleged 30-minute duration.
“At most airports around the world, including major international airports, a ten-minute drop-off window is generally considered acceptable. Where, then, did the claim of 30 minutes originate?” it asked.
The statement also alleged that other vehicles were parked in the same area without being sanctioned.
“Is it not a fact that several other vehicles were in the vicinity of Mr Obi’s vehicle without attracting similar attention from airport officials? Some of those vehicles had been parked there long before Mr Obi’s vehicle arrived, yet none was clamped,” it said.
Obi’s media office also questioned the minister’s decision to publish CCTV footage showing the opposition candidate’s movements at the airport.
It argued that sharing such footage on a personal social media account could expose Obi to security risks, particularly in light of his previously expressed concerns about his safety.
“Can the publication of CCTV footage detailing Mr Peter Obi’s movements on your personal social media platform be considered a serious breach of his personal security?” the statement asked.
It maintained that the footage did not establish any wrongdoing by Obi but instead disclosed the movements of a prominent opposition politician.
“Your footage established no wrongdoing. Instead, you further exposed the movements of a leading opposition figure whose security concerns are already significant,” it added.
The statement referenced previous airport incidents involving former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole and Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, questioning whether the same level of official action and public condemnation had been applied in those cases.
Obi’s media office also criticised Keyamo’s warning that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria could take further action against him.
It questioned whether the minister was assuming multiple roles as accuser, investigator and decision-maker in the dispute.
“You further threatened to direct FAAN to take unspecified action against Mr Obi. Are you the accuser, the investigator, the judge and the executioner in the same matter?” the statement asked.
“As Minister of Aviation, are you now positioning yourself as the law itself? Mr Keyamo, are you the law?”
The media office maintained that the controversy had wider implications beyond the clamping of a vehicle.
It said the matter raised questions about equal treatment under the law, the security of opposition figures, the neutrality of public institutions and the conduct expected of government officials in a constitutional democracy.
“This issue goes far beyond a clamped vehicle. It concerns equal treatment under the law, the security of opposition figures, the neutrality of state institutions and the standards expected in a constitutional democracy,” the statement concluded.
“Nigerians deserve answers to these questions.”
The post “Are You The Accuser, Investigator, Judge And Executioner—Are You The Law?” — Peter Obi Questions Keyamo Over Airport Clamp Threat appeared first on TheNigeriaLawyer.
