By Stellamaris
The Presidency and a former presidential aide, Bashir Ahmad, have faulted the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, over his claim that officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) stopped him from greeting members of the national Under-17 women’s team, the Flamingos.
The reactions followed Obi’s account of the incident at an airport on Monday. He said NFF officials prevented him from approaching the players and reportedly warned that they could lose their jobs if he greeted the team.
In a statement on Monday, the Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, accused the opposition of trying to politicise national sports teams and institutions. He said national athletes, including the Flamingos, represent the whole of Nigeria and not any political party or individual ambition.
Olusegun said the protocol guidelines for national teams are meant to protect young athletes from political exploitation, commercial distractions and unnecessary media circuses while on official duty. He described Obi’s account as an attempt to turn standard security and administrative procedures into a case of political victimisation. He said doing so was a disservice to the unity that sport is meant to foster in the country.
The presidential aide also accused Obi of building a victim narrative on “unverified hearsay” and urged him to let the athletes focus on representing the country. Ahmad, the National Director of Media Monitoring and Rapid Response of the City Boy Movement, also disagreed with Obi’s description of the incident as a new dimension of toxic politics.
In a statement, Ahmad said being denied access to greet the team did not automatically amount to political persecution. He said protocol, security and administrative considerations must have been involved. He urged the former Anambra State governor to prioritise facts and responsibility, adding that Nigeria was bigger than any individual or political party. He said a new Nigeria was possible, but not through perpetual political antagonism.
Obi had earlier said he arrived at the airport on Monday for a flight to Enugu when he noticed the Flamingos getting ready to board a vehicle after arriving in the country. He said he asked his protocol officer, Jackie Wayas, to find out whether he could greet the players, but was told NFF officials had objected, warning that they would lose their jobs if he approached the team. The NFF had not publicly commented on Obi’s account at the time of filing this report.
