A lively debate unfolded on live television between Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, and Seun Okinbaloye, a television anchor, over the recent airport controversy involving former presidential candidate Peter Obi.
The exchange took place during a live interview where Keyamo defended the Federal Government’s actions following Obi’s accusation that his vehicle was unjustly clamped at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
Throughout the program, Okinbaloye pressed the minister about the government’s response and their choice to release CCTV footage concerning the airport incident. Keyamo maintained that the footage refuted Obi’s claims of political persecution, asserting that airport personnel were simply enforcing existing security and parking rules.
Keyamo explained that the vehicle transporting Obi was left unattended in a designated drop-off area, violating airport safety regulations, which justified the authorities’ actions. He emphasized that the enforcement was impartial and applied regardless of who owned the vehicle.
As the discussion heated up, both Keyamo and Okinbaloye frequently interrupted each other, debating whether the incident was a case of routine enforcement or if it represented selective treatment of a notable opposition figure.
This disagreement comes after an earlier clash between Keyamo and Obi, where the minister demanded that Obi apologize to airport staff and pay a ₦25,000 parking fine, arguing that CCTV evidence contradicted Obi’s narrative. Keyamo warned of potential further actions by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) should these demands be ignored.
The airport controversy has sparked a wide-ranging political debate, with supporters on both sides offering differing interpretations of the event, questioning whether it was a fair enforcement of regulations or a political move against an opposition leader.
