Keyamo Okays Third-Party Payment of Obi’s ₦25,000 Airport Fine

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has approved a third-party payment arrangement for the ₦25,000 fine imposed on former Anambra State governor and Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, over an alleged airport parking violation.

Keyamo, in a post on his official X handle, directed Nnaemeka Ikerionwu, who volunteered to pay the fine on Obi’s behalf, to liaise with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to complete the payment process.

The minister’s response followed Ikerionwu’s offer to settle the penalty after Keyamo announced that Obi should pay the fine and issue a public apology to airport officials over the incident.

“Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Please, Mr Nnaemeka Ikerionwu should proceed to see the Director of Commercial and Business Development for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and he will be directed on the mode of payment of the fine for the offender,” Keyamo wrote.

The minister’s latest directive indicates that the government is willing to accept payment from a third party, although he did not state whether his earlier demand for a public apology from Obi remains a condition.

The controversy followed an incident at the domestic wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, where Obi had alleged that the tyres of his vehicle were unfairly clamped by airport officials.

Following the allegation, Keyamo ordered an internal investigation to establish what happened.

According to the minister, the inquiry, which included a review of CCTV footage, showed that Obi’s vehicle was parked unattended in a restricted area, leading airport security personnel to clamp the tyres.

Keyamo said Obi arrived at the airport on July 4, 2026, and left the vehicle after being dropped off by a police driver.

Last Friday, the minister had demanded that Obi apologise to airport officials and pay the ₦25,000 penalty, arguing that the action taken by airport authorities was based on established regulations rather than any targeted treatment.

In his latest statement, Keyamo also criticised Obi’s initial account of the incident, accusing him of making claims that could create the impression of unfair treatment by airport authorities.

“Now that we have burst his bubble, next time, Peter Obi should think twice before making outlandish claims of being targeted at our airports or anywhere for that matter in order to get ‘sympathy votes’,” the minister added.

The development adds another chapter to the public dispute between the aviation authorities and Obi over the airport incident, with the payment process now expected to be handled through FAAN.