Why Obi May Not Apologise, Pay Airport Fine—Udim

A Senior Partner at Justice Chambers, Ekemini Udim, has explained why the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, may not apologise to airport officials or pay the N25,000 fine demanded over an alleged parking violation at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

The issue followed a statement issued by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who called on Obi to apologise publicly to airport officials and pay the fine after an internal investigation into the incident.

According to Keyamo, the investigation, which included a review of CCTV footage from the airport, showed that Obi’s vehicle was left unattended in a restricted parking area after he was dropped off at the domestic terminal on July 4, 2026.

The minister stated that the police driver who brought Obi to the airport briefly returned to the vehicle before leaving it unattended once again. He said airport security officials later clamped the vehicle’s tyres in line with existing parking regulations.

Keyamo added that the vehicle was later released after the driver contacted Obi, who reportedly spoke with an airport manager and requested that the car be released. He also claimed that the required N25,000 fine was not paid before the vehicle was allowed to leave.

Based on the findings of the investigation, the minister asked Obi to apologise to airport personnel, whom he said were carrying out their lawful duties, and to return to the airport within seven days to pay the outstanding fine.

Reacting to the development in a video shared on Facebook, Udim argued that the minister does not have the legal authority to declare anyone guilty or order the payment of a fine because he is not a court of law.

The lawyer referred to an earlier court case involving the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), where both the trial court and the Court of Appeal ruled that the agency could not impose fines directly because it is not a judicial body. According to him, anyone accused of committing an offence should first be taken before a court with the power to determine guilt and apply the appropriate punishment.

Udim argued that the same legal principle could apply to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), saying the agency is also not a court of law and may not have the legal power to impose fines without following due legal process.

He further stated that even if FAAN is legally permitted to issue fines, another legal question remains regarding who should be held responsible for the alleged parking offence.

According to Udim, criminal liability is personal under Nigerian law, meaning only the individual who committed an alleged offence can be held accountable. He explained that responsibility for an offence cannot be transferred to another person simply because they own the vehicle involved.

The lawyer maintained that Obi can only be held responsible if it is established that he personally drove the vehicle and parked it in violation of airport regulations. If the police driver was the one who parked the vehicle, Udim argued that any legal responsibility would rest with the driver and not Obi.

He concluded that unless there is evidence showing Obi personally committed the alleged parking violation, there would be no legal basis for requiring him to apologise or pay the N25,000 fine demanded by the minister.