The Edo North Senator, Adams Oshiomhole, may have lied about completing the online check-in process ahead of the Air Peace flight which he was recently refused to board, investigation by SaharaReporters has revealed.
SaharaReporters had on Wednesday exclusively detailed how Oshiomhole blocked access to the airport terminal and accused Air Peace staff of misconduct after missing his flight.
Sources at the airport had told SaharaReporters that the senator blocked the entrance to the terminal entirely, refusing to budge despite multiple pleas from the terminal manager.
According to eyewitnesses, rather than accept responsibility for his lateness, the senator blocked the terminal’s entrance, creating a gridlock that left dozens of passengers stranded and delayed.
A check by SaharaReporters on the Air Peace website on Friday using Oshiomhole’s reference number on his ticket, however, showed he never checked in online ahead of the scheduled flight departure as claimed.
However, at a press briefing on Wednesday evening, he denied the allegation, explaining that his actions were in defence of fellow passengers who were unfairly denied boarding despite complying with the airline’s check-in policies.
The former Edo governor alleged that, although he had checked in online for a 6:30 a.m. flight along with two Ghanaian colleagues, he was barred from boarding upon arrival at the terminal shortly after 6:00 a.m.
“They delayed the flight for over five hours. In the end, they announced a cancellation. I had to get another ticket. Yesterday, I booked a flight for 6:30 a.m., which is their first flight today. I booked and asked them to check me in online, which I did, along with two other Ghanaians . We checked in online just to avoid the last-minute issues I’ve had with them a couple of times,” he had said.
“I got there at about five minutes past six. They told me the counter was closed. I told them, ‘No, I’ve already checked in.’ I showed them the evidence of my online check-in. Even before then, they had asked if I had checked in, and I told them yes, and that I had no luggage. They looked at it but still said the gate had been closed. Meanwhile, I noticed they were still taking other people in.”
Meanwhile, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had intervened in the dispute between Air Peace and former governor.
In a statement issued via his verified X handle on Friday, Keyamo confirmed that he has been in direct contact with both parties since the incident occurred and has instructed aviation agencies to refrain from making hasty conclusions.
“I have directed all aviation agencies to exercise restraint and adhere to the principle of hearing all sides before drawing conclusions,” the minister said.
“Looks like a he-said-he-said situation! Did Senator Oshiomhole genuinely forget he didn’t check in online, or was it a deliberate misstatement? Should Air Peace provide more evidence to support their claim?”