Adams Oshiomole, former Governor of Edo State and current Senator representing Edo North, has denied reports suggesting he caused a disruption at the Lagos airport’s General Aviation Terminal after missing a flight to Abuja on Wednesday, June 11.
An earlier report claimed the senator arrived at the terminal by 6:10 a.m. for a 6:30 a.m. flight but was denied boarding as the process had already been closed. Eyewitnesses alleged that Oshiomole reacted angrily, argued with airline staff, and went as far as blocking the terminal entrance, preventing other passengers from entering the departure hall.
However, in an interview with Arise TV, Oshiomole dismissed the claims. He explained that he arrived at the airport by 6:00 a.m., having already checked in online. Despite this, he and other passengers were marked as absent by the airline, who then asked them to pay an extra ₦109,000 to board the next flight—an offer he declined.
According to him, the airline’s staff recognized him and attempted to offer a workaround because of his identity. Oshiomole said he rejected the special treatment and demanded that the same offer be extended to other stranded passengers, including women and children. He insisted he only advocated for fair treatment and customer rights, accusing the airline of prioritizing passengers willing to pay inflated prices for emergency tickets.
He added that his public stance may have prompted the airline to label him as disruptive. In his words, “When they found out it was me, a senior manager came out and said, ‘Oga, let’s see how I can sort you out.’ I said no. I don’t want personal favours. I want my rights and the rights of other Nigerians respected. These people paid ₦146,000 when they booked. Now they’re being pushed aside for those willing to pay ₦250,000.”
Oshiomole concluded that his actions were driven by fairness and transparency, not entitlement.
