TO THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF AVIATION, MR. FESTUS KEYAMO
Contrary to your account of events surrounding Mr. Peter Obi’s transit through the Abuja Airport on Saturday, July 4, it has become necessary to set the record straight.
Mr. Peter Obi does not have any police or civil defence personnel attached to him in Abuja, despite being entitled to VVIP protection by virtue of his status as a leading opposition figure in Nigeria. He certainly does not have a police officer serving as his driver. Your reference to a “police driver” appears to have been based on the assumption that he enjoys the level of security protection ordinarily accorded to someone of his standing. He does not.
Mr. Obi travels through multiple airports across Nigeria well over a dozen times every week. As someone who frequently travels with him, I have personally witnessed repeated instances of unusual discourtesy directed at him by some government personnel.
From your own account of events, it is evident that the incident Mr. Obi referred to during his interview occurred on a different date and at a different airport from the one referenced in your tweet.
However, let me address the incident you chose to publicise.
KEY CLARIFICATIONS
1. The incident you posted is entirely different from the one Mr. Peter Obi narrated in his interview. In that interview, he clearly stated: “I was there…” In the incident contained in your tweet, he was not present.
If we now have at least two separate incidents in which vehicles associated with Mr. Obi were clamped under questionable circumstances, does this not suggest a pattern of targeting an individual simply because of who he is?
2. The entire sequence of events you referenced, from arrival to the eventual clamping of the vehicle, lasted approximately five minutes.
At most airports around the world, including major international airports, a ten-minute drop-off window is generally considered acceptable. Where, then, did the claim of 30 minutes originate?
Do you not agree that half-truths can sometimes be more misleading than outright falsehoods?
3. Is it not a fact that several other vehicles were in the vicinity of Mr. Obi’s vehicle without attracting similar attention from airport officials? Indeed, some of those vehicles had been parked there long before Mr. Obi’s vehicle arrived, yet none was clamped.
4. I have personally been at the airport on several occasions when serving and former government officials arrived in large convoys, blocked access routes, and caused considerable inconvenience to the travelling public, without any agency of government taking similar action.
5. Under your watch, there have been other high-profile airport incidents, including:
The disruption involving Senator Adams Oshiomhole and airline staff.
The incident involving Mr. Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM 1), a known associate of the President, who allegedly attempted to prevent an aircraft from departing.
You are undoubtedly aware of both incidents.
Where was this same enthusiasm to instigate public outrage and issue official condemnations? Was CCTV footage from those incidents also released, or was the CCTV system only activated when it involved Mr. Peter Obi?
6. Can the publication of CCTV footage detailing Mr. Peter Obi’s movements on your personal social media platform be considered a serious breach of his personal security?
Your footage established no wrongdoing. Instead, you further exposed the movements of a leading opposition figure whose security concerns are already significant.
Would you release equivalent CCTV footage of other presidential candidates of Mr. Obi’s standing who travel in private and presidential aircraft funded by taxpayers?
Should a leading presidential candidate not be accorded security protocols consistent with democratic best practices?
Good morning, Nigerians.
I want to draw attention to what I believe are important questions about accountability, the rule of law, and the standards of evidence used in public discourse.
The situation reminds me of Animal Farm, where the rules appear to apply differently to different people. Whether or not one agrees with that comparison, many Nigerians are concerned about whether our institutions are applying the law fairly and consistently.
Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, you released a video containing CCTV footage in connection with allegations involving Mr. Peter Obi. If the CCTV cameras at one of our international airports cannot clearly show faces or vehicle registration numbers, that should concern every Nigerian. How do we identify terrorists? How do we track criminals? How do we investigate serious security incidents?
Mr. Minister, you should start by apologizing to Nigerians that, despite the billions of naira invested in the aviation sector, this is the best visual evidence you can present in support of these allegations. You have really done poorly!
CCTV footage should speak for itself. It should provide objective evidence, not require lengthy explanations telling viewers what they are supposed to see. If the footage is unclear, it should not be presented as conclusive proof of a person’s identity.
Having watched the video several times, I cannot confidently identify the person shown as Mr. Peter Obi, nor can I confidently say it is someone else. The footage, as presented publicly, does not appear sufficiently clear for me to reach a definitive conclusion. Where the evidence is disputed, it is important to distinguish allegations from verified facts.
I also recall the controversy surrounding information relating to Mr. Emeka Ike that was publicly displayed by Mr. Lere Olayinka, an aide to Minister Nyesom Wike, and described as originating from INEC’s backend.
INEC, which is entrusted with sensitive information belonging to millions of Nigerians, is yet to tell us what happened to this day.
The “Invisible Ministry” of Prince Adeyemi is still there, and we are yet to know how it entered our national budget. We have not found the elephant in that room.
Yet our Aviation Minister can come and disgrace our national airport CCTV by releasing video footage that requires a commentator to explain it. Please, Minister, are we watching a football match on the radio?
Any matter involving Mr. Peter Obi receives immediate public attention, while other issues involving national institutions do not seem to receive the same level of scrutiny. These questions deserve clear and transparent answers.
Investigations should be guided by credible, independently verifiable evidence rather than assumptions or speculation.
Now Festus Keyamo has told the whole world that, when it comes to CCTV security information, we are not where we should be.
@SaharaReporters My own Delta people have degenerated so low. WTH 🤦♂️….. what’s going on???
I feel Nigerians as a whole are loosing brain cells everyday with this APC administration… cos this level of brazen stupidity is hard to explain
This week, I have observed with deep concern two notable media appearances: one by my brother, Mr. Peter Obi, and the other by the family of Malam Nasir El-Rufai.
In his interview with Mr. Chude Jideonwo, Mr. Obi voiced serious worries about his personal safety and the adverse impact his role as an opposition leader has had on his businesses. Even more troubling was the Federal Government’s response, which resorted to personal insults and derogatory language instead of the restraint and maturity expected of a democratic administration.
Let me state clearly: like every Nigerian, our presidential candidate and all of us deserve the full protection of the state, not ridicule for raising legitimate concerns.
Democratic leadership requires fairness, justice, and restraint.
A government entrusted with protecting citizens should not dismiss or mock credible calls for help from any individual, including Mr. Peter Obi.
On the other hand, it was distressing to watch the wives of Malam Nasir El-Rufai publicly express the family’s anguish over his prolonged detention.
Regardless of political affiliation, Malam El-Rufai, like every Nigerian, is entitled to due process and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty by a competent court. The continued delay in granting him bail through what many perceive as stringent and unreasonable conditions is deeply concerning. As an unconvicted citizen, he deserves a fair and expeditious trial, while his health and that of his family are adequately safeguarded.
I therefore join well-meaning Nigerians in urging the Federal Government to handle these matters with transparency, accountability, and justice. These issues must not be weaponised to settle political scores.
For our democracy to truly thrive, every citizen; young or old, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or political persuasion must receive equal and equitable treatment under the law from the government that exists to protect us all. - RMK
"With the way this government is going, I may not even be alive to contest the 2027 election. Every single thing I do for a living, this government is deliberately frustrating. I face frustration every day. They recently locked my car at the airport."
—NDC presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi
The wait is over.
We have 2 golds: Chimdiebube Onwubiko and Don Anele Munachimso.
We are the best in the world!
Egejurum Onyedikachi’s name was omitted. He should have a gold.
@AboderinA@AboderinA you are a very stupid and useless human. Garbage human being. What a vile thing to say…. Nigerians can stay anywhere they choose to…. Fool at 40.
Nigeria has now been delisted from the International Maths Olympiad, whose finals are happening in Shanghai, China, this July.
It is one of the most prestigious academic competitions in the world.
Nigeria can now only participate as an observer nation, while other countries can participate fully.
This was because of the Ministry of Education’s inability to fund students for 4 consecutive years through National Mathematical Center.
It’s a big shame for Nigeria.
Another case of Child abuse, this time in Imo State. Mrs. Juliet Igwe inflicted grievous bodily harm on this 7 year old girl, Onyinyechi. She dipped her hand in boiling water, dropped candle wax all over her body and private part. Something has to be urgently done about this.😞💔
When your national priorities are wrong, because the wrong people are in power, you can spend thousands of dollars deploying drones to light up the Lagos skyline for June 12 celebrations, yet fail to deploy the same drone technology to help locate kidnapped and missing school children held captive in forests.
A government that can mobilize resources for spectacle but not for saving lives has lost sight of its most basic responsibility.
Children remain in captivity while Nigerian officials celebrate. That is the tragedy of today's Nigeria.
@officialABAT is a scourge on the nation.
#TinubuMustGo
@menezor2013@NationalPulseNG Bruh!!!! I’m saying this from personal experience…. I had many Igbo neighbors while growing up and this was a reoccurring menace. They beat nonsense out off those kids sent from the village to stay with them, starve them, break things on their heads…. Mostly Anambra women, 😖
One year ago, Fulani Islamic terrorists stormed Yelwata, Nigeria, slaughtering more than 200 Christians.
Most were women and children sheltering at a local Catholic mission.
Today, we remember the martyrs. The world must not forget the Christian genocide in Nigeria.