NFF Officials Stopped Me from Greeting Flamingos — Peter Obi Alleges

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has alleged that Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officers prevented him from congratulating the victorious Under-17 girls’s nationwide crew, the Flamingos, at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Monday morning.

Obi stated he arrived on the airport round 7 a.m. to catch a flight to Enugu and noticed the crew, which had simply returned after successful the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Eager to welcome the gamers, he requested his protocol officer, Jackie Wayas, to verify if he might greet them.

According to Obi, NFF officers refused and particularly requested that he keep away, warning that permitting the interplay might value them their jobs.In a press release titled “A New Dimension of Toxic Politics in Nigeria,” Obi described the episode as proof of deepening political toxicity. He recalled the same incident on March 25, 2025, throughout a World Cup qualifying match in Uyo.

Although the state governor welcomed him on the VIP stand, officers later blocked him from greeting the gamers after the sport, once more citing fears of job losses.“Regrettably, this is not the first time I have been subjected to such treatment,” Obi stated. “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.”

He confused that the Nigeria he hopes to assist construct shouldn’t have any place for hostility, intimidation, or discrimination based mostly on political affiliation. “It must be a Nigeria in which unity, mutual respect, and our shared humanity take precedence over political differences. A new Nigeria is possible.”

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