Obidient Movement Raises Concerns Over Alleged CCTV Footage Manipulation by Keyamo

The Obidient Movement has accused the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), of manipulating CCTV footage in an attempt to discredit the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi, over a recent incident at an airport.

In a statement issued by its Media and Communications Directorate, the movement dismissed the minister’s claims that Obi’s vehicle was left unattended for 30 minutes and obstructed access to the terminal, insisting that the video released by Keyamo contradicted his own narrative.

The group alleged that the footage showed Obi’s vehicle arriving at about 8:28 p.m. and being clamped around 8:34 p.m., arguing that the six-minute interval invalidated the minister’s claim that the vehicle had been abandoned for half an hour.

According to the movement, “The timestamps show the vehicle arriving at 20:28 and being clamped at approximately 20:34. That is six minutes, not thirty.”

It further alleged that the minister deliberately zoomed in on the seconds display of the CCTV footage in an attempt to create the impression that viewers were looking at the minute counter, describing the exercise as misleading. 

The Obidient Movement also challenged the allegation that Obi’s vehicle blocked the airport terminal entrance, claiming that the footage released by the minister showed another vehicle stopping behind Obi’s vehicle without difficulty.

“The footage completely undermines the allegation that the entrance was blocked, and the evidence presented by Mr Keyamo simply does not support his own narrative,” the statement said.

The group maintained that the video reinforced Obi’s earlier claim that other vehicles were parked in the same area, accusing aviation authorities of selective enforcement.

According to the movement, enforcement officers acted with unusual speed against Obi’s vehicle while allegedly ignoring other vehicles, a development it said reinforced public perception that the former Anambra State governor was being unfairly singled out.

The movement further accused the minister of focusing excessively on Obi instead of addressing the challenges confronting Nigeria’s aviation sector.

It listed rising airfares, flight delays, cancellations, poor communication by airlines, and infrastructure deficits among the pressing issues requiring the minister’s attention.

The statement alleged that Keyamo had devoted more energy to investigating Obi and releasing edited CCTV footage than to tackling the problems affecting air travellers across the country.

“The harassment of Peter Obi must stop. His real offence is not violating airport rules. His real offence is offering Nigerians a credible alternative to a government that has failed them at every level,” the movement stated.

It added that attempts to intimidate or distract Obi would not divert attention from what it described as the country’s major challenges, including hunger, insecurity, inflation, and economic hardship.

Reaffirming its support for Obi, the Obidient Movement said it remained committed to its campaign for what it described as a “New Nigeria”, insisting that no amount of propaganda or selective enforcement would weaken its resolve.