ABUJA — The Presidency and political aides have rejected claims by Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi that Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials prevented him from greeting the national Under-17 women’s football team, the Flamingos.
The controversy follows Mr. Obi’s account of an encounter at an airport on Monday while en route to Enugu. Mr. Obi stated that his protocol team sought permission to greet the arriving athletes, but NFF officials declined access, allegedly citing fears of losing their jobs if he met with the team.
Reacting in a statement on Monday, the Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, accused the opposition of attempting to politicise national sports teams.
Olusegun noted that standard protocol guidelines exist to protect young athletes from “political exploitation, commercial distractions, and unnecessary media circuses while on official duty.”
“To spin standard security and administrative protocols into a narrative of political victimisation is a disservice to the unity that sport is meant to foster in our country,” Olusegun said, adding that national athletes represent the entire federation rather than individual political ambitions.
Reactions from campaign groups
Similarly, Bashir Ahmad, National Director of Media Monitoring and Rapid Response for the City Boy Movement, dismissed Mr Obi’s interpretation of the event as an effort to manufacture political antagonism.
Ahmad emphasized that security and administrative considerations routinely govern access to national teams, stressing that a denial of access does not constitute political persecution.
“Protocol, security and administrative considerations must have been involved,” Ahmad said, calling for focus on facts and responsible public commentary. “A new Nigeria is possible, but not through perpetual political antagonism.”
The NFF has not issued an official public statement regarding the airport interaction.
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