The National Sports Commission (NSC) has called on Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), to apologise to members of Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, over his claim that he was politically excluded during their reception at Abuja airport.
NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko said Commission and Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials who received the team did not see Obi near the players.
In a statement issued on Monday, Dikko responded to Obi’s account of an alleged incident during the reception of the Flamingos, who recently returned from Morocco after winning the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. He rejected the suggestion that the incident amounted to political exclusion, saying the team’s achievement should unite Nigerians rather than become a source of partisan controversy.
According to Dikko, two people wearing campaign caps and other clothing bearing Obi’s branding approached officials at the airport and asked for the former Anambra State governor to meet and take photographs with the players.
He said the proposed interaction could also have involved campaign materials. Officials declined the request because it was unexpected and no meeting had been arranged in advance, he added.
Dikko said the players arrived at about 5.30 a.m. on an Air Maroc flight and were tired after their journey and demanding World Cup campaign. He said the decision to decline the request was made with their welfare in mind.
The NSC chairman also disputed the suggestion that officials feared losing their jobs over the incident. He noted that Obi had said he was at the airport to board a flight to Enugu, which would ordinarily depart from the domestic terminal, while the Flamingos arrived at the international terminal.
Passengers and airport officials at the international terminal welcomed and celebrated the players, Dikko said. Members of the public took photographs with them, danced and shook hands with them as they made their way to their buses.
He added that media coverage of the reception did not show Obi near the team or in the vicinity of the international terminal.
Dikko criticised Obi for describing the episode as political intimidation without first seeking clarification from the Commission or the NFF. He said the subsequent statements and media interviews had shifted attention from the players’ achievement to what he called an individual political grievance.
The chairman urged Obi to reflect on the incident and offer the players an unreserved apology.
“Their welfare, dignity and protection from undue pressure must remain central to every engagement,” he said, noting that the Flamingos are minors and have a designated safeguarding official within their technical crew.
Dikko said access to the players and arrangements for photographs must comply with relevant regulations, adding that national athletes should not be used to suggest allegiance to any political party.
He also highlighted the team’s preparation, which included more than seven months of training, qualifying matches and participation in the WAFU tournament before the campaign in Morocco.
While acknowledging Obi’s congratulatory messages during the closing stages of the competition, Dikko said national teams deserved consistent support during their preparation, competitions and setbacks—not only when they won trophies.
He invited Obi and other Nigerians interested in meeting or hosting the players to submit formal requests to the Commission or the NFF.
Dikko cited the example of a Nigerian businessman who sponsored a delegation to Morocco to support the team in the final and later donated $50,000 to the players on the pitch, without seeking media attention or political recognition.
Super Eagles dressing-room claim
Dikko also disputed Obi’s claim that he was prevented from visiting Super Eagles players in their dressing room after Nigeria’s 1-1 draw with Zimbabwe in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Uyo on March 25, 2025.
He said he sat in the same row as Obi and the governors of Lagos, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom states during the match.
According to Dikko, after the unfavourable result, the players said they wanted to hold an immediate meeting among themselves and declined to receive visitors in the dressing room. The decision applied to all dignitaries and officials, including Dikko, the governors and senior NFF officials, he said.
He maintained that Obi was not singled out or denied access because of his political affiliation.
Dikko added that FIFA protocols restricted access to technical areas, including dressing rooms, to accredited personnel. Anyone seeking access had to apply through the football federation and obtain prior clearance, he said.
He warned that breaches of the protocols could lead to sanctions against the federation, including fines or a ban on the stadium hosting future matches.
Football, Dikko said, remained a national asset capable of uniting Nigerians across ethnic, religious and political differences. The Flamingos’ World Cup triumph, he added, should be celebrated as a source of national pride rather than used to deepen political divisions.
