The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has alleged that officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) prevented him from felicitating the country’s Under-17 women’s football team at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Monday.
The team’s players and officials arrived in Nigeria via Abuja in the early hours of Monday after their Women’s U-17 World Cup triumph in Morocco.
Obi, in a statement on Monday, said the NFF officials kept him at bay for fear of losing their jobs.
Obi described the incident as a “new dimension of toxic politics” which he said has festered since 2015.
“I arrived at the airport at 7 a.m. this morning to board my flight to Enugu. There, I saw the Nigeria Under-17 girls’ team, which had just arrived and was preparing to board its vehicle into town,” he said.
“With genuine joy and enthusiasm, I asked my Protocol Officer, Jackie Wayas, to find out whether I could greet and welcome the team. I was informed that officials of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) had refused and had requested that I not approach them because, if I did, they would all lose their jobs.
“Regrettably, this is not the first time I have been subjected to such treatment. On March 25, 2025, I was in Uyo for the World Cup qualifier. The governor warmly received me and welcomed me at the VIP stand.
“Following the match, other government officials went to greet the players, but I was again prevented from doing so. I was told by the officials that they would lose their jobs if I proceeded.
“It is deeply troubling to witness the extent of toxic politics into which our nation has descended since 2025. Each year appears to bring further deterioration. This reflects how deeply Nigeria has been affected.”
Obi, a former governor of Anambra state, called for politics without bitterness or animosity.
“The new Nigeria we aspire to build must have no room for hostility, intimidation, or discrimination, regardless of political affiliation,” he said.
“It must be a Nigeria in which unity, mutual respect, and our shared humanity take precedence over political differences.”
