By The Merit Newspaper -Sports Desk
Abuja, Nigeria -November 10, 2026
The National Sports Commission (NSC) has disputed claims by former Anambra State Governor and 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, that he was prevented from meeting Nigeria’s victorious Under-17 women’s football team, the Flamingos, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
The commission said Obi was not seen around the team when the players returned to Nigeria on Monday, November 9, following their historic triumph at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
In a statement issued on Monday, NSC Chairman, Shehu Dikko, explained that two individuals wearing Peter Obi campaign face caps and other campaign-related attire approached officials of the commission and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), requesting that the former governor be allowed to meet and take photographs with the players.
According to Dikko, the officials declined the request because it was made without prior arrangements and raised concerns that the proposed interaction could involve campaign materials, potentially drawing the young players into partisan political activities.
He added that the team had arrived in Abuja at about 5:30 a.m. aboard a Royal Air Maroc flight after a demanding tournament and needed adequate consideration for their welfare.
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The NSC chairman also dismissed Obi’s allegation that officials warned they could lose their jobs if they allowed him to approach the players, insisting that nothing in the account provided by the officials supported such a claim.
Dikko further explained that Obi had indicated he was at the airport to board a flight to Enugu, which would ordinarily depart from the domestic terminal, while the Flamingos arrived through the international terminal. He maintained that the former governor was neither seen around the players nor in the vicinity of the international wing of the airport.
The commission said Nigerians present at the airport, including passengers and airport officials, freely celebrated the team, took photographs and interacted with the players without discrimination based on political affiliation.
However, Obi had earlier alleged that NFF officials prevented him from greeting the team after he arrived at the airport at about 7 a.m. to board his flight to Enugu. He said he instructed his Protocol Officer, Jackie Wayas, to seek permission for him to welcome the players but was informed that officials had refused his request, allegedly warning that they could lose their jobs if he approached the team.
The former governor described the incident as another example of what he called the growing culture of toxic politics in Nigeria, recalling a similar experience involving the Super Eagles after a World Cup qualifying match in Uyo in March 2025.
Reacting to the allegations, Dikko urged Obi to apologise to the young players, stressing that the Flamingos, who are minors, should not be drawn into political controversies.
He maintained that the team’s historic achievement should remain a source of national pride and unity rather than become a subject of partisan political disagreement.
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The Merit Newspaper reports that the Flamingos made history by defeating Japan 2-1 in the final in Morocco, becoming the first African team to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
