By Our Reporter
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has accused officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) of preventing him from greeting members of Nigeria’s victorious Under-17 women’s football team, the Flamingos, at the Abuja airport.
Obi made the allegation in a statement issued on Monday, titled, “A New Dimension of Toxic Politics in Nigeria”, in which he condemned what he described as the growing influence of political divisions in the country.
The former Anambra State governor said he arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at about 7am on Monday to catch a flight to Enugu when he noticed the Flamingos, who had returned from Morocco following their historic triumph at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
According to him, he instructed his Protocol Officer, Jackie Wayas, to find out whether he could meet and congratulate the players.
However, he said he was informed that NFF officials had rejected the request and asked that he should not approach the team.
“I was informed that officials of the Nigerian Football Federation had refused and had requested that I not approach,” Obi said.
He described the incident as another instance of what he considered politically motivated discrimination, recalling a similar experience during Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on March 25, 2025.
Obi said although the state governor had welcomed him at the VIP stand during the match, he was subsequently prevented from greeting the players after the encounter.
He alleged that other government officials were allowed to interact with the players, while he was denied the same opportunity.
“Following the match, other government officials went to greet the players, but I was again prevented from doing so. I was told by the officials that they would lose their jobs if I proceeded,” he stated.
Expressing concern over what he described as the worsening political atmosphere, Obi said Nigeria had witnessed an increasing level of intolerance and division since 2025.
“It is deeply troubling to witness the extent of toxic politics into which our nation has descended since 2025. Each year appears to bring further deterioration. This reflects how deeply Nigeria has been affected,” he said.
The NDC presidential candidate called for a country where political affiliations would not determine how citizens are treated, stressing the need to promote national unity, mutual respect and shared humanity.
He maintained that political differences should not prevent Nigerians from celebrating national achievements or interacting with one another.
The NFF had yet to publicly respond to Obi’s allegation as of the time of filing this report.
The Flamingos returned to Abuja on Monday after defeating Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s final in Morocco to win their first-ever FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup title.
The historic victory also made Nigeria the first African country to win the competition.