The presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has called for adherence to aviation safety protocols, following an incident involving an Enugu Air aircraft at the Benin Airport on Thursday.

The aircraft skidded off the runway during its landing at Benin Airport.

Reacting, Obi expressed heartfelt gratitude to God Almighty that all 68 passengers and crew members on board disembarked safely, with no injuries or casualties recorded. "The safety of human lives must always remain our highest priority," he said.

He also commended the pilot, the flight crew, and the airport emergency response teams at Benin Airport for their swift and professional handling of the situation, which averted what could have been a major tragedy. He said their calmness and decisiveness under pressure are deeply commendable.

"While we celebrate this safe outcome, the incident serves as a sober reminder of the critical need for strict adherence to aviation safety protocols, rigorous routine maintenance, and continuous infrastructure upgrades across our airports nationwide.

"I urge the relevant regulatory and investigative bodies—particularly the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB)—to conduct a thorough, transparent, and timely investigation into the root cause of this incident.

"Learning from occurrences such as this is essential to strengthening public confidence in our aviation sector and ensuring that our skies remain consistently safe.

"May God continue to guide and protect all travellers across our nation," Obi said.