The Minister of Aviation has called on NDC’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to publicly apologise to airport staff and pay a ₦25,000 fine over an incident at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, following what he described as an internal investigation into Obi’s claim that his vehicle was unfairly clamped….
The Minister of Aviation has called on NDC’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to publicly apologise to airport staff and pay a ₦25,000 fine over an incident at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, following what he described as an internal investigation into Obi’s claim that his vehicle was unfairly clamped.
In a statement, the minister said he ordered the inquiry after Obi alleged that the clamping of his vehicle’s tyres was part of a campaign of political persecution by the Federal Government.
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According to the minister, CCTV footage showed that on 4 July, a vehicle conveying Obi was left unattended in the airport’s designated drop-off zone for about 30 minutes after its police driver entered the terminal building.
“The airport rule is that, apart from the fact that it is a drop-off zone, a driver must remain behind the wheels of the vehicle for it to be tolerated for some time within that zone,” the minister said.
He added that airport officials later clamped the vehicle’s tyres in line with airport regulations and “nobody knew whether it was his car (not that it should matter, anyway).”
The minister further alleged that after discovering the vehicle had been clamped, the police driver contacted Obi by telephone and handed the phone to the airport manager.
According to the minister, Obi “introduced himself and spoke with the manager, peddled his ‘influence’ and requested for the release of the vehicle,” after which “his vehicle was then released without him paying the necessary fine.”
The minister maintained that leaving a vehicle unattended in the drop-off zone for about 30 minutes “constitutes a security risk at an airport by global best practices.”
Rejecting Obi’s earlier allegation of persecution, the minister said the incident was “a clear case of an opposition candidate trying to whip up unnecessary sentiments for a wrong he committed with his driver.”
He further accused Obi of attempting to “milk any situation to score cheap political points” by presenting what he described as “a false narrative.”
The minister demanded that Obi “tenders an unreserved, public apology” to airport workers, whom he said were simply carrying out their duties, and voluntarily return to pay the ₦25,000 parking fine.
He warned that if Obi failed to comply within one week, he would direct the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) “to take the next steps against him.”
Peter Obi had earlier alleged that his vehicle was unjustly clamped at the airport and suggested the incident reflected political persecution. At the time of publication, he had not publicly responded to the minister’s latest statement.
