The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has accused the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, of political hypocrisy and seeking cheap publicity following Obi’s allegation that Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials prevented him from greeting the Flamingos at the airport.
​The controversy arose on Monday morning, November 9, 2026, at approximately 7:00 AM at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. Obi, who was preparing to board a flight to Enugu, spotted the Under-17 women’s national football team, the Flamingos, returning to the federal capital following their historic FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup victory over Japan in Rabat, Morocco.
​In a statement posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account later on Monday, Obi revealed that he instructed his Protocol Officer, Jackie Wayas, to approach the delegation and ask if he could formally congratulate the team. Obi claimed his protocol officer returned with a refusal, alleging that NFF officials turned down the request and warned that allowing Obi near the team would cost those involved their jobs.
Describing the encounter as evidence of “growing toxic politics,” Obi lamented that political affiliations were obstructing basic courtesy and national celebrations. Obi also cited a similar experience on March 25, 2025, in Uyo during a World Cup qualifying match, where he alleged he was also blocked from greeting national team members. ​
Responding swiftly to the accusations, Festus Keyamo dismissed Obi’s claims as a calculated attempt to manufacture public sympathy. Speaking through an official media statement issued in Abuja, Keyamo questioned Obi’s motives, pointing out the contradiction in Obi attempting to associate with a national success while consistently painting the country in a negative light.
​”Mr. Peter Obi, in all your public vituperations, you often say things akin to the fact that ‘Nigeria is finished.’ So, why are you now so anxious to share in the glory of the same nation?” Keyamo stated, accusing the NDC candidate of hypocrisy for attempting to leverage the achievement of young Nigerian athletes for political capital. Keyamo further cautioned against turning routine protocol management at federal transit hubs into baseless narratives of political victimisation.
​As of Monday afternoon, officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have not issued a formal counter-statement regarding the protocol arrangements at the airport terminal. The exchange highlights intensifying political tensions as key figures position themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections.
