The 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 Under-17 women’s national football team, the Flamingos, due to fears of political retaliation and job loss.
The former Anambra State governor revealed the details of the encounter in a post on his official X handle on Monday, November 9, 2026. According to Obi, the incident occurred at approximately 7:00 a.m. at an airport as he was preparing to board a morning flight bound for Enugu.
Upon sighting the Flamingos squad, who had just arrived and were preparing to enter the city, Obi dispatched his Protocol Officer, Jackie Wayas, to inquire if he could briefly greet and welcome the young athletes.
However, Obi stated that NFF officials managing the team explicitly rejected the request and warned that allowing him near the players would cost them their positions. ”I was informed that officials of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) had refused and had requested that I not approach them because, if I did, they would all lose their jobs,” Obi shared.
Obi noted that this was not an isolated event, referencing a prior incident on March 25, 2025, during a World Cup qualifier in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. While he was received at the VIP stand by the state governor, NFF officials similarly barred him from approaching the national team players post-match under identical threats of job dismissal.
Decrying the encounter as a symptom of a wider “toxic politics” in the country, Obi emphasized that a new Nigeria must transcend partisan hostility and prioritise shared national unity over political division. As of Monday afternoon, official spokespersons for the Nigeria Football Federation have not issued a formal rebuttal regarding the allegations.
