Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has accused Peter Obi of lying over his claim that he was harassed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
Keyamo made the remarks during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today while responding to questions about the Federal Government’s handling of the airport incident involving the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate.
The interviewer asked the minister whether the government’s handling of Obi’s case amounted to politics taken too far.
In response, Keyamo questioned why the interviewer had not confronted Obi with what he described as false claims during a previous interview with the opposition politician.
“Okay, so I’ll ask you a rhetorical question. Jude, I say this with respect to you. He was here and you interviewed him a few days ago. You did not ask him this question: why he lied. It’s not fair. That’s why we want the press to be very neutral,” Keyamo said.
He insisted that Obi was the one who first alleged that he was harassed at the airport because of his opposition status, adding that the interviewer failed to challenge him on the allegation.
“He was the one who complained that he was being harassed at the airport and that because of his opposition status, he was harassed. Peter Obi was with you and you conducted a two-hour interview. You are asking me now, but you did not ask him,” the minister added.
As the exchange became heated, the interviewer maintained that his duty was to ask questions, while Keyamo repeatedly insisted that Obi should have been asked to explain what he described as inconsistencies in his account.
“But it’s not fair. Ask him why he lied. Ask him, ‘Was that video you?’ Why didn’t you ask him?” Keyamo said.
The minister also defended his decision to investigate the airport incident, arguing that it was his responsibility as the minister overseeing the aviation sector.
“Is it fair for an opposition candidate to claim he was being harassed and then not allow the Minister of Aviation, who is responsible for that sector, to verify the claim? Is it fair? Shouldn’t I question the conduct of my people at the airport and ask, ‘Why did you harass him?’”
Keyamo talked about Obi’s credibility.
“Then I saw the man was lying. He lies like a fish drinking water. He lies. He lies for fun,” he said.
When the interviewer suggested he was taking the issue personally, Keyamo replied, “No, don’t say that. I will say that because there’s video.”
He further accused the interviewer of shielding Obi from scrutiny.
“Don’t protect him next time. Ask him why he lied,” the minister said.
The latest comments are the latest chapter in the disagreement between Keyamo and Obi over an incident at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport earlier this month.
Obi had alleged that his vehicle was clamped while other vehicles parked in the same area were left untouched, claiming the action formed part of a pattern of political harassment against him because of his opposition status.
Following the allegation, Keyamo ordered an internal investigation into the incident.
The minister later said CCTV footage from the airport contradicted Obi’s account, insisting that the former Anambra State governor’s vehicle was parked unattended for about 30 minutes in a designated drop-off zone in violation of airport regulations.
According to Keyamo, airport officials were unaware that the vehicle belonged to Obi when they clamped it, adding that the vehicle was eventually released without payment of the prescribed ₦25,000 parking fine after Obi spoke with an airport manager over the telephone.
The minister argued that leaving a vehicle unattended in a drop-off zone poses a security risk, particularly at an international airport.
He subsequently demanded that Obi publicly apologise to airport personnel for accusing them of political persecution and also pay the ₦25,000 fine for violating parking regulations. He warned that if the demands were not met within one week, he would direct the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to take further action.
