‘You’re Now Positioning Yourself As The Law’ – Peter Obi Blasts Keyamo

The Presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has criticised Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, over a warning that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria could take action against him.

Naija News recalls that Keyamo had issued Peter Obi an ultimatum, demanding that he publicly apologise to airport officials and pay a ₦25,000 fine for wrongful parking at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, or face consequences.

But in response, Peter Obi, in a statement through his media office by Zekeri Idris, accused Keyamo of presenting a misleading account of the airport incident, noting that his statement was entirely different from the one the former Governor of Anambra State narrated during a recent interview.

According to him, the existence of multiple incidents involving vehicles linked to Peter Obi raised concerns about selective treatment.

He said, “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.

“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 also dismissed claims that Peter Obi had a police officer serving as his driver or enjoyed the level of security protection expected of a leading opposition figure.

He also disputed Keyamo’s account of the incident’s duration at the airport and questioned why other vehicles parked in the same area were not sanctioned.

He said, “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 entire sequence of events you referenced, from arrival to the eventual clamping of the vehicle, lasted approximately five minutes. 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?

“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? Indeed, some of those vehicles had been parked there long before Mr. Obi’s vehicle arrived, yet none was clamped.

“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? Your footage established no wrongdoing. Instead, you further exposed the movements of a leading opposition figure whose security concerns are already significant.” 

While referencing previous airport incidents involving former Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole and Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, Peter Obi’s spokesman questioned why similar official action was not taken.

The statement added, “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? As Minister of Aviation, are you now positioning yourself as the law itself? Mr Keyamo, are you the Law?

“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. Nigerians deserve answers to these questions.”