Umahi Says Peter Obi Will Contest, Lose Again In 2027 As Keyamo Demands Airport Apology

The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has dismissed claims by former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi that his life is under threat, insisting that no one wants him dead and expressing confidence that Obi will be alive to contest and lose the 2027 presidential election.

Speaking during an inspection of federal road projects in Ebonyi State, Umahi described Obi’s comments as a reflection of political frustration, arguing that the South-East was increasingly backing President Bola Tinubu due to ongoing infrastructure development in the region.

“Nobody wants Obi dead. We all want him alive to contest the election and watch himself lose again,” Umahi said.

He attributed Obi’s performance in the 2023 presidential election to what he described as an “accident of history,” adding that the Tinubu administration’s investments in the South-East had weakened the former Anambra governor’s political influence in the region.

Umahi also challenged Obi to a public debate on the achievements of the current administration, insisting that the South-East had benefited significantly from President Tinubu’s policies and deserved to support his re-election.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has demanded that Obi publicly apologise to officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and pay a ₦25,000 fine over an incident involving his vehicle at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Keyamo’s reaction followed Obi’s recent claim that his vehicle was unfairly clamped at the airport, which he suggested was part of a pattern of political persecution.

In a statement posted on his X account, Keyamo said he ordered an internal investigation into the incident, relying on CCTV footage from the airport to establish what transpired.

According to the minister, the footage showed that Obi arrived at the airport on July 4, 2026, and entered the terminal while his police driver left the vehicle unattended in a designated drop-off zone.

He explained that airport regulations require drivers to remain inside their vehicles in the area, adding that security personnel clamped the vehicle only after it had been left unattended for about 30 minutes.

Keyamo said the driver later contacted Obi by phone, after which the former presidential candidate allegedly spoke with the airport manager and requested that the vehicle be released without paying the prescribed fine.

He argued that the incident had nothing to do with political persecution, accusing Obi of attempting to generate public sympathy over a matter that resulted from a breach of airport regulations.

The minister maintained that all Nigerians should be treated equally under the law, regardless of political status, and called on Obi to apologise to the FAAN officials involved and pay the outstanding fine.

Keyamo warned that if Obi failed to comply within one week, he would direct the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria to take further action. He also released CCTV footage of the incident, saying it supported the findings of the ministry’s investigation.