NDC 2027 presidential candidate Peter Obi has accused officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) of preventing him from greeting the victorious Flamingos at the airport in Abuja.
According to Obi, he arrived at the airport around 7 a.m. on Monday to board a flight to Enugu when he sighted the Nigeria Under-17 women’s team. The Flamingos had just returned from Morocco after winning the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup — a historic first for an African side.
With genuine excitement, he asked his protocol officer, Jackie Wayas, to check if he could approach and congratulate the young champions. He was told that NFF officials had refused the request and directed that he should not approach the players because “if I did, they would all lose their jobs.”
Obi described the incident as “a new dimension of toxic politics in Nigeria.”
He noted that this was not the first time. On March 25, 2025, while attending a World Cup qualifier in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, the state governor welcomed him at the VIP stand. Yet after the match, officials again stopped him from greeting the players, warning that they could lose their jobs if he proceeded.
Obi expressed deep concern over what he called the growing culture of political hostility and discrimination, stressing that political differences should never stop Nigerians from showing support and appreciation to national teams that make the country proud.
