Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has alleged that officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) prevented him from greeting members of the country’s Under-17 women’s national football team, the Flamingos, at an airport.
Obi claimed that the officials were afraid of losing their jobs if they allowed him to approach and welcome the players. The former Anambra State governor made the allegation in a post on his X handle on Monday, expressing concern over what he described as the growing culture of toxic politics in Nigeria.
According to him, he arrived at the airport around 7 a.m. to board a flight to Enugu when he sighted the Flamingos, who had just returned to the country and were preparing to leave the airport. Obi said he subsequently asked his Protocol Officer, Jackie Wayas, to find out whether he could approach the players and congratulate them.
However, he alleged that the NFF officials turned down the request, insisting that he should not be allowed to interact with the team. “I was informed that officials of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) had refused and had requested that I not approach them because, if I did, they would all lose their jobs,” Obi wrote.
He further claimed that the incident was not the first time he had been prevented from interacting with members of a Nigerian national team. Recalling an incident on March 25, 2025, Obi said that when he travelled to Uyo for a World Cup qualifying match, the state governor warmly received him at the VIP stand.
He alleged that after the match, when other government officials went to greet the players, he was prevented from doing the same, with officials reportedly citing fears of losing their jobs. Obi expressed concern that what he described as the culture of toxic politics had continued to worsen since 2025, adding that the situation appeared to deteriorate with each passing year.
He maintained that political differences should not be allowed to undermine national unity, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence. “The new Nigeria we aspire to build must have no room for hostility, intimidation, or discrimination, regardless of political affiliation.
“It must be a Nigeria in which unity, mutual respect, and our shared humanity take precedence over political differences,” he added.
The Flamingos arrived in Abuja on Monday following their 2-1 victory over Japan in the final of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Rabat, Morocco.
