The Federal Government has defended officials of the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over allegations that they prevented the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, from meeting Nigeria’s victorious U-17 women’s team, the Flamingos, at the Abuja airport.
Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, described Obi’s Monday account of the incident as a misrepresentation.
He insisted that the decision to decline his proposed meeting with the players was based on their welfare and the circumstances surrounding the request.
In a statement obtained by Politics Nigeria on Tuesday, Dikko said officials who accompanied and received the team from Morocco reported that they did not see Obi around the players at the airport.
According to him, two individuals wearing Peter Obi campaign face caps and other campaign-related 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 just arrived at about 5:30 a.m. aboard an Air Maroc flight and were exhausted after their journey and demanding World Cup campaign.
Dikko added that there had been no prior arrangement or formal notification regarding a reception for Obi at the airport.
He also dismissed claims that officials were threatened with losing their jobs over the incident, saying nothing in the account provided by the officials supported such suggestions.
The NSC chairman further argued that Obi, who reportedly arrived at the airport to board a flight to Enugu, would ordinarily have used the domestic terminal, while the Flamingos arrived through the international terminal.
He said passengers and other Nigerians at the international terminal freely celebrated the players, taking photographs, dancing and shaking hands with them as they made their way to their buses.
Dikko maintained that Obi was not captured anywhere near the team or the international wing of the airport.
He faulted the former presidential candidate for presenting the incident as political intimidation without first seeking clarification from the NSC or NFF.
The commission’s chairman urged Obi to apologise to the players, accusing him of turning their moment of national celebration into a political controversy.
“I urged and advised that His Excellency Mr. Peter Obi reflect deeply and offer an unreserved apology to these young girls for souring their moment of glory with his regrettable actions, subsequent statement and media interviews deliberately weaponising a non-issue for political gain,” he said.
Dikko stressed that the Flamingos are minors and have a dedicated safeguarding official responsible for protecting their welfare and managing interactions with them.
He said the officials had a responsibility to prevent the young players from being subjected to undue pressure or being presented as supporters of any political party.
The NSC chairman also questioned Obi’s level of support for the team before their World Cup triumph, noting that the players spent more than seven months preparing for the competition through training, qualifiers and the WAFU tournament.
While acknowledging Obi’s congratulatory messages during the closing stages of the competition, Dikko said national teams needed consistent support beyond moments of victory.
He, however, 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 disclosed that a Nigerian businessman who sponsored a delegation to Morocco to support the team during the final had donated $50,000 to the players on the pitch after the match.
He said the donation was made without seeking media attention or attempting to gain political recognition.
The NSC chairman also dismissed Obi’s claim that he was prevented from visiting Super Eagles players in their dressing room after Nigeria’s 1-1 draw against Zimbabwe in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Uyo on March 25, 2025.
Dikko, who said he sat on the same row with Obi and the governors of Lagos, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom states during the match, explained that the players declined to receive visitors after the disappointing result.
According to him, the players wanted to hold an immediate meeting among themselves to review their performance, prompting all dignitaries and officials, including governors, NFF officials and himself, to stay away from the dressing room.
He also explained that FIFA security protocols restricted access to technical areas, including dressing rooms, during international matches, adding that visitors must be accredited or obtain prior clearance through the football federation.
Dikko warned that violations of the protocols could attract fines against the federation or lead to the stadium being banned from hosting future international matches.
He added that the Flamingos’ World Cup victory should serve as a source of national unity rather than become another subject of political division.