Aviation Minister Gives Peter Obi One Week to Apologise Over Airport Incident or Face FAAN Action

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development has asked NDC Party presidential candidate Peter Obi to publicly apologise to airport staff and pay a ₦25,000 fine over an alleged parking violation at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, warning that further action could follow if he fails to comply within one week.

In a statement released on Friday, the minister said he ordered an internal review after Obi alleged that the tyres of his vehicle were unjustly clamped at the airport as part of what he described as a campaign of persecution against him.

According to the minister, the inquiry included a review of CCTV footage from the airport, which he said provided a detailed account of the incident.

He alleged that Obi arrived at the airport on July 4, 2026, and was dropped off at the domestic terminal before his police driver left the vehicle unattended in a designated drop-off zone.

The minister said airport regulations require drivers to remain with their vehicles in such areas, adding that the vehicle was left parked for about 30 minutes before airport officials clamped its tyres.

He further claimed that airport personnel did not know the vehicle belonged to Obi when they carried out the enforcement action.

According to the statement, Obi later spoke with the airport manager by telephone after his driver contacted him, and the vehicle was subsequently released without payment of the prescribed penalty.

The minister alleged that the release amounted to the use of influence to avoid the sanction ordinarily imposed for such violations.

He also rejected Obi’s earlier claim that the incident reflected political persecution, describing it instead as the enforcement of standard airport regulations.

The minister demanded that Obi publicly apologise to airport workers whom he said were unfairly accused while performing their duties.

He also called on the former Anambra State governor to voluntarily return to the airport and pay the ₦25,000 fine for the alleged parking offence.

The minister warned that if the demands are not met within one week, he would direct the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to take further action in accordance with its regulations.

As of the time of filing this report, Peter Obi had not publicly responded to the minister’s latest statement.

The controversy follows Obi’s earlier allegation that his vehicle was unfairly targeted at the airport, a claim that generated widespread political debate before the Federal Government’s latest response.