Flamingos: Obi alleges NFF officials stopped him from congratulating players

Former Anambra State Governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has accused officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) of preventing him from meeting members of the victorious Flamingos at the Abuja airport.

Obi made the allegation on Monday in a statement titled A New Dimension of Toxic Politics in Nigeria, expressing concern over what he described as the growing influence of political divisions in the country.

The former governor said he arrived at the airport around 7 am to board a flight to Enugu when he spotted the Nigeria Under-17 women’s team, which had just returned from Morocco following its historic triumph at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

He explained that he instructed his Protocol Officer, Jackie Wayas, to approach the relevant officials and seek permission for him to greet and congratulate the players.

Obi said he was subsequently informed that NFF officials had rejected the request and instructed that he should not approach the team because they feared losing their jobs if they allowed the interaction.

The NDC presidential candidate described the development as disappointing, adding that it was not the first time he had allegedly been prevented from interacting with members of a Nigerian national team.

He recalled a similar incident on March 25, 2025, when he visited Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, for a World Cup qualifying match. Although the state governor welcomed him at the VIP stand, Obi claimed that officials later stopped him from greeting the players after the match.

Obi said the repeated incidents reflected what he considered a worsening political climate, warning against allowing partisan differences to undermine national unity.

He called for a Nigeria where hostility, intimidation and discrimination would have no place, irrespective of political affiliation.

The Flamingos returned to Abuja on Monday after defeating Japan 2-1 in the final of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco on Saturday.

Goals from Awawu Bashiru and Oluebube Umejiaku secured Nigeria’s maiden title in the competition, making the team the first African side to win the tournament.

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