Flamingos: NFF Officials Said They Would Lose Their Jobs If I Greeted Players–Obi

The 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has made a fresh allegation against officials of the Nigeria Football Federation, claiming that he was stopped from greeting Nigerian players because officials feared they would lose their jobs if he was allowed to approach the team.

Obi made the claim in a statement released 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 and the way national moments were being handled.

He said the latest incident happened at the Abuja airport, where he arrived at 7 am on Monday to board a flight to Enugu and saw the Nigeria Under-17 women’s team, the Flamingos, who had just returned from Morocco after winning the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

Obi said he asked his Protocol Officer, Jackie Wayas, to find out whether he could greet and welcome the players, but was told that NFF officials had refused his request and had 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,” he said, in a direct account of what he said he was told at the airport.

Obi Links Airport Incident To Earlier Experience In Uyo

The former Anambra State governor said the incident was not the first time he had been prevented from greeting Nigerian footballers, and he went on to recount a similar experience that he said took place during a World Cup qualifier in Uyo.

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

“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.

Obi said the explanation given to him in Uyo stayed with him, because it suggested that the decision to keep him away was not about security or protocol, but about fear of punishment for allowing a political opponent to share in a national celebration.

He argued that if officials truly believed they could lose their jobs for allowing him to greet players, then the problem was deeper than a single incident at an airport or a stadium, and pointed to a political climate where people felt unsafe for carrying out ordinary courtesies.

Describing the incidents as evidence of what he called “toxic politics”, Obi said the situation reflected a deterioration in the country’s political climate since 2025, with each year bringing what he described as further decline in tolerance and openness.

“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.

Obi Calls For A Country Beyond Political Hostility

He called for a country where political differences would not result in hostility or discrimination, insisting that “unity, mutual respect, and our shared humanity” should take precedence over political affiliations.

The NFF had not publicly commented on Obi’s claim as of the time of filing this report, leaving the allegation unanswered while the Flamingos’ historic achievement continued to dominate public discussion.

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

The victory also made Nigeria the first African country to win the competition, a milestone that Obi said should have been a moment for all Nigerians to celebrate together, regardless of political differences.