Keyamo okays third-party payment of Obi’s N25,000 airport fine

Nigeria's Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has authorized a third party to pay a N25,000 fine levied against Peter Obi, the Labour Party's presidential candidate in the 2023 election. Mr. Nnaemeka Ikerionwu volunteered to settle the fine on Obi's behalf.

The fine stemmed from an alleged parking violation at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. According to Minister Keyamo, an internal inquiry supported by CCTV footage confirmed that Obi's vehicle was clamped after being left unattended in a restricted area on July 4, 2026. Keyamo had initially demanded that Obi issue a public apology to airport officials and pay the fine, following Obi's claim that his vehicle's tires were "unjustly" clamped.

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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.

Responding to Ikerionwu's offer to pay the fine, Keyamo directed him to liaise with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) for guidance on the payment process. The minister stated, "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.’" While the government appears willing to accept the fine payment from a third party, it is not yet clear whether the demand for a public apology from Obi has been rescinded.

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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.’