The National Sports Commission (NSC) has faulted Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi over his account of an alleged attempt to prevent him from meeting Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, following their return from the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
The commission described Obi’s portrayal of the incident at the Abuja airport as an act of political exclusion, insisting that the team’s reception should not be politicised.
In a press statement issued on Monday, November 9, 2026, NSC Chairman, Shehu Dikko, said officials of the commission and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) who received the players reported that they did not see Obi near the team at the airport.
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According to Dikko, two individuals wearing campaign face caps and other Peter Obi-branded attire approached the officials to request that the former Anambra State governor meet and take photographs with the players.
He said the officials declined the request because the players had arrived at about 5:30 a.m. on an Air Maroc flight and were tired after their journey and a demanding competition.
Dikko explained that the request was unexpected and that there had been no prior arrangement for such an interaction.
He also disputed Obi’s claim of being around the team, noting that the former governor had said he was at the airport to board a flight to Enugu, which would ordinarily depart through the domestic terminal, while the Flamingos arrived through the international terminal.
The NSC chairman added that passengers and airport officials welcomed the players, taking photographs, dancing and shaking hands with them as they made their way to their buses.
He further accused Obi of turning an unscheduled photograph request into a narrative of political victimisation without first seeking clarification from the NSC or NFF.
Dikko urged Obi to apologise to the players, saying his subsequent statement and media interviews had soured their moment of glory.
He stressed that the Flamingos are minors and have a dedicated safeguarding official responsible for protecting their welfare and managing access to them.
The chairman also recalled that the team had spent more than seven months preparing for the competition, including training, World Cup qualifiers and the WAFU tournament, before emerging champions in Morocco.
While acknowledging Obi’s congratulatory messages during the closing stages of the competition, Dikko said such gestures should be matched with consistent support for national teams throughout their preparation and development.
He invited Obi and other Nigerians interested in meeting or hosting the players to submit formal requests to the NSC or NFF for appropriate arrangements.
Dikko also cited a Nigerian businessman who donated $50,000 to the team on the pitch after the final match, saying the gesture was made without seeking media attention or political gains.
On Obi’s separate allegation that he was prevented from visiting the Super Eagles in their dressing room after Nigeria’s 2025 World Cup qualifier against Zimbabwe in Uyo, Dikko described the claim as inaccurate.
He said he sat on the same row with Obi and several governors during the March 25, 2025 match, adding that the players had requested privacy after the unfavourable result to hold an internal meeting.
According to him, no dignitary or official, including himself, the governors and senior NFF officials, was allowed into the dressing room.
He further explained that FIFA security protocols governed access to the dressing rooms and other technical areas during the international fixture, warning that violations could attract sanctions against the football federation.
Dikko maintained that the Flamingos’ World Cup triumph should unite Nigerians across political, ethnic and religious divides rather than become a source of partisan controversy.
Source: Sports Archives – New Telegraph
