The Presidency has faulted the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, over his claim that officials of the Nigeria Football Federation stopped him from greeting members of the national Under-17 women’s team, the Flamingos.

The presidency’s response followed Obi’s account of an incident at an airport on Monday, where he said he was prevented from approaching the players by NFF officials, who reportedly warned that they could lose their jobs if he greeted the team.

Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, in a statement released on Monday,  accused the Obi of attempting to politicise national sports teams and institutions.

He said the national athletes, including the Flamingos, “represent the entire Federal Republic of Nigeria, not any specific political party or individual ambition.”

Olusegun said protocol guidelines for national teams were designed 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.

“To spin standard security and administrative protocols into a narrative of political victimisation is a disservice to the unity that sport is meant to foster in our country,” he said.

The presidential aide also accused Obi of using “unverified hearsay to build a victim narrative”, urging him to allow athletes to focus on representing the country.

Obi had earlier said he arrived at the airport on Monday for a flight to Enugu when he noticed the Flamingos preparing 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 that NFF officials had objected, warning that they would lose their jobs if he approached the team.

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.”

Troops of Operation IGBO DANU II, under the 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, have neutralised a suspected criminal and recovered an AK-47 rifle during an operation in the Old Oyo National Park.

This was disclosed by the Nigerian Army in a statement shared on its official X account, titled, “TROOPS OF OPERATION IGBO DANU II NEUTRALISE CRIMINAL, RECOVER AK-47 IN OLD OYO NATIONAL PARK.”

According to the Army, the operation was conducted in collaboration with hybrid forces and followed an encounter with suspected criminal elements on November 7, 2026.

The statement said the troops, while conducting operations within the park, engaged the suspects, who fled upon sighting the advancing soldiers.

It added that the troops recovered an AK-47 rifle, an empty magazine and a Dane gun, further degrading the operational capabilities of the fleeing elements.

During a follow-up operation on November 8, the soldiers discovered the corpse of one of the fleeing suspects, confirming the neutralisation of one criminal element.

The Army also disclosed that temporary shelters believed to have served as hideouts were destroyed to disrupt criminal activities and deny the suspects safe havens within the forested area.

“The Nigerian Army, in collaboration with other security stakeholders, remains resolute in sustaining operations to dismantle criminal networks, deny them safe havens and restore security across the 2 Division Area of Responsibility,” the statement said.

It added that exploitation of the general area was ongoing to track fleeing elements and prevent them from regrouping.