The Presidency has criticised former Anambra State Governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his allegation that officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) prevented him from greeting members of the national Under-17 women’s football team, the Flamingos.

Obi had alleged that he was stopped from approaching the players at an airport in Abuja on Monday after they returned to Nigeria from Morocco, where they won the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

According to him, he arrived at the airport around 7am while preparing to board a flight to Enugu when he noticed the victorious team preparing to leave the airport.

He said he instructed his protocol officer, Jackie Wayas, to find out whether he could meet and congratulate the players but was informed that NFF officials had objected to his request.

Obi further claimed that the officials warned they could lose their jobs if they allowed him to approach the team.

Reacting to the allegation, the Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, accused the opposition figure of attempting to introduce partisan politics into national sporting activities.

Olusegun maintained that national athletes, including the Flamingos, represent Nigeria as a whole rather than any political party or individual.

He explained that established protocols governing national teams were designed to protect young athletes from political exploitation, commercial distractions and unnecessary media attention while carrying out official duties.

The presidential aide described Obi’s account as an attempt to portray standard security and administrative procedures as political victimisation.

He also accused the former governor of relying on unverified information to create a narrative of persecution, urging him to allow the players to concentrate on representing the country.

Similarly, Bashir Ahmad, National Director of Media Monitoring and Rapid Response of the City Boy Movement, disagreed with Obi’s description of the incident as another example of toxic politics.

Ahmad argued that being denied access to greet the players did not automatically amount to political persecution, noting that security, administrative and protocol considerations could have informed the decision.

He urged Obi to exercise restraint and prioritise facts and responsibility, stressing that Nigeria’s interests should remain above individual or political ambitions.

Meanwhile, Obi had recalled experiencing a similar situation on March 25, 2025, during a World Cup qualifying match in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

He claimed that although the state governor welcomed him at the VIP stand, he was subsequently prevented from greeting the players after the match, with officials allegedly warning that they could lose their jobs if he proceeded.

The former governor described the experiences as evidence of growing political intolerance in the country and called for an environment where political differences would not encourage hostility or discrimination.

As of the time of filing this report, the Nigeria Football Federation had not publicly responded to Obi’s latest allegation.

The Flamingos made history by defeating Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s final in Morocco to become the first African country to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.