The Presidency on Monday faulted Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate Peter Obi over his account of an airport encounter with Nigeria’s Under-17 women’s football team, the Flamingos.
Obi said officials of the Nigeria Football Federation stopped him from greeting the players after their return from Morocco. The team had won the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup by beating Japan 2-1 in the final.
Obi stated that he arrived at the airport at 7 a.m. on Monday to board a flight to Enugu. He saw the Flamingos preparing to leave after their arrival.
He asked his protocol officer Jackie Wayas to check whether he could greet and welcome the players. Obi said officials of the Nigerian Football Federation refused the request. He added that they warned they would lose their jobs if he approached the team.
“I was informed that officials of the Nigerian Football Federation had refused and had requested that I not approach them because, if I did, they would all lose their jobs,” Obi said in his statement titled “A New Dimension of Toxic Politics in Nigeria.”
He also recalled a similar experience on March 25, 2025, during a World Cup qualifier in Uyo. He said the state governor welcomed him at the VIP stand, yet officials later stopped him from greeting the players while other government officials did so.
Special Assistant to the President on Social Media Dada Olusegun responded the same day. He accused the opposition of attempting to politicise national sports teams and institutions.
Olusegun said the national athletes, including the Flamingos, “represent the entire Federal Republic of Nigeria, not any specific political party or individual ambition.”
He explained that protocol guidelines for national teams protect young athletes from political exploitation, commercial distractions and unnecessary media attention while on official duty.
Olusegun added that turning standard security and administrative procedures into a narrative of political victimisation does a disservice to the unity that sport is meant to foster.
He further told Obi to reflect on what he called a manipulative way of life and to stop weaponising unverified hearsay to build a victim narrative. He urged that athletes focus on winning for Nigeria free from political theatre.
Former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad also faulted Obi’s claim. The Nigeria Football Federation had not issued a public comment at the time reports were filed.
