‘They told me not to approach the team ‘ – Obi alleges NFF officials barred him from Flamingos

The Presidential candidate for the National Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has accused officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) of preventing him from greeting Nigeria’s victorious U-17 women’s team, the Flamingos, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Monday.

Mr Obi said he arrived at the airport at about 7 a.m. to board a flight to Enugu when he saw the team returning from Morocco after winning the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

In a post titled “A New Dimension of Toxic Politics in Nigeria”, the former Anambra State Governor said he asked his Protocol Officer, Jackie Wayas, to find out whether he could welcome the players.

However, he alleged that he was told NFF officials had refused his request and warned that they could lose their jobs if he approached the team.

“With genuine joy and enthusiasm, I asked my Protocol Officer, Jackie Wayas, to find out whether I could greet and welcome 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,” he said.

Mr Obi described the incident as a repeat of an earlier experience in Uyo on 25 March 2025, when he attended Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Zimbabwe.

He said he was warmly received by Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno at the VIP stand of the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium but was prevented from greeting the Super Eagles after the match.

According to him, other government officials were allowed to meet the players, while he was told that officials could lose their jobs if he approached the team.

The match ended in a 1-1 draw, with Victor Osimhen giving Nigeria the lead before Zimbabwe equalised late in the game.

Mr Obi said the two incidents reflected what he described as the growing culture of political hostility in the country.

“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,” he said.

He called for a country where political differences would not result in hostility, intimidation or discrimination, adding that national unity and mutual respect should take precedence over political affiliations.

“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 said.

The incident came a day after Mr Obi congratulated the Flamingos on their historic achievement, describing their victory as a source of national pride.

In a separate message on Sunday, he praised the players for their talent, resilience, hard work and dedication, saying they had raised Nigeria’s flag high.

The Flamingos made history on Saturday by defeating Japan 2-1 in the final of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Rabat, Morocco, to become the first African nation to win the competition.

Awawu Bashiru opened the scoring in the 39th minute before Oluebube Umejiaku doubled Nigeria’s lead shortly after the restart. Japan’s Fuki Ito pulled one back in the 80th minute, but the Nigerian team held on to secure the title.

The victory completed a remarkable campaign for the team, which recovered from a 2-1 opening defeat to Poland and went on to win six consecutive matches.

Under coach Akeem Busari, the Flamingos also defeated Puerto Rico and defending champions Korea DPR in the group stage before overcoming Mexico and Venezuela in the knockout rounds. They secured their first-ever appearance in the final with a 3-1 victory over Brazil in the semi-finals.

The triumph was Nigeria’s first title in the competition and improved on the team’s previous best finish of third place in 2022. It also marked the first time an African team had won the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

The team arrived at the Abuja airport early on Monday, where supporters and officials welcomed the newly crowned champions.

Mr Obi’s allegation had not received a public response from the NFF at the time of filing this report. PREMIUM TIMES made several unsuccessful attempts to reach Ademola Olajire, the NFF’s Acting Deputy General Secretary and Director of Communications, by phone. A WhatsApp message sent to him had also not received a response as of the time of filing this report.

Tunde Eludini is a graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Nigeria where he studied International Relations. He is a Senior Correspondent coordinating the sports section for PREMIUM TIMES. Twitter: @tundeyeludini