Peter Obi Accuses NFF Officials of Stopping Him From Greeting Victorious Flamingos

The 2027 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 U-17 women’s national 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 criticised what he described as the growing influence of political divisions in the country.

The former Anambra State governor said he arrived at the airport around 7 am on Monday to board a flight to Enugu when he noticed the Flamingos, who had returned from Morocco following their historic FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup triumph.

According to Obi, he instructed his Protocol Officer, Jackie Wayas, to find out whether he could approach the players to congratulate them. However, he said he was informed that NFF officials had rejected the request and asked that he 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 added that the incident was not the first time he had allegedly been prevented from interacting with Nigerian footballers.

Obi recalled a similar experience on March 25, 2025, during a World Cup qualifying match in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. He said the governor had welcomed him at the VIP stand, but he was later stopped from greeting the players after the match.

“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 said.

Describing the incidents as examples of what he called “toxic politics”, Obi argued that political divisions were increasingly affecting ordinary interactions and national events.

“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.

He called for a country where political differences would not lead to hostility or discrimination, stressing the importance of unity, mutual respect and shared national identity.

The NFF had not publicly responded to Obi’s allegation as of the time of filing this report.

The Flamingos returned to Abuja after defeating Japan 2-1 in the final in Morocco to claim their first FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup title.

The victory also marked a historic achievement for African football, with Nigeria becoming the first African country to win the competition.