Peter Obi Accuses NFF Officials of Blocking Him From Greeting U-17 World Cup Champions

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has accused officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) of preventing him from welcoming members of the Flamingos at an airport, allegedly because they feared losing their jobs.

Obi made the allegation in a post on X on Monday, describing the incident as another example of what he called Nigeria’s growing culture of toxic politics.

He said he arrived at the airport around 7 a.m. to catch a flight to Enugu when he noticed members of the national under-17 women’s football team, who had just returned to the country and were preparing to leave the airport.

According to the former Anambra State governor, he asked his Protocol Officer, Jackie Wayas, to approach the relevant officials and find out whether he could greet the players.

However, he claimed the request was turned down by NFF officials, who reportedly warned that they would lose their jobs if they allowed him to interact with the team.

“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,” he wrote.

Obi further alleged that the airport incident was not the first time he had been prevented from interacting with members of a Nigerian national team.

He recalled travelling to Uyo on March 25, 2025, for a World Cup qualifying match, where he said the state governor received him warmly at the VIP stand.

However, he claimed that after the match, he was stopped from joining other government officials who went to greet the players, with officials allegedly giving the same reason that they could lose their jobs if he approached the team.

The NDC candidate expressed concern over what he described as an increasingly hostile political environment, arguing that the situation had worsened since 2025.

He insisted that political differences should not prevent Nigerians from showing mutual respect or celebrating national achievements.

“The new Nigeria we aspire to build must have no room for hostility, intimidation, or discrimination, regardless of political affiliation.

“It must be a Nigeria in which unity, mutual respect, and our shared humanity take precedence over political differences,” he added.

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 Rabat, Morocco, to emerge champions.