Presidency, Bashir Ahmad Fault Peter Obi Over Alleged Airport Incident With Flamingos

The Presidency and former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad have criticised the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, over his account of an alleged incident involving officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and members of the national Under-17 women’s football team, the Flamingos, at an airport.

The reactions followed Obi’s claim that NFF officials prevented him from greeting the players, allegedly warning that they could lose their jobs if they allowed him to approach the team.

In a statement on Monday, the Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, accused opposition politicians of attempting to politicise national sports teams and institutions.

Olusegun maintained that national athletes, including the Flamingos, represented the entire country rather than any political party or individual.

He explained that protocol guidelines governing national teams were intended to protect young athletes from political exploitation, commercial distractions and unnecessary media attention while carrying out official duties.

The presidential aide described Obi’s account as an attempt to portray standard security and administrative procedures as 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,” Olusegun said.

He also accused the former Anambra State governor of relying on what he described as unverified hearsay to create a victim narrative, urging him to allow the athletes to concentrate on representing Nigeria.

### Bashir Ahmad reacts

Similarly, Ahmad, the National Director of Media Monitoring and Rapid Response of the City Boy Movement, disagreed with Obi’s description of the incident as another dimension of toxic politics.

In his reaction, Ahmad argued that being denied access to greet the players did not automatically amount to political persecution.

“Protocol, security and administrative considerations must have been involved,” he said.

He urged Obi to prioritise facts and responsibility, adding that Nigeria was bigger than any individual or political party.

“A new Nigeria is possible, but not through perpetual political antagonism,” Ahmad added.

### How the incident happened

Obi had earlier explained that he arrived at the airport on Monday for a flight to Enugu when he noticed the Flamingos preparing to board a vehicle after returning to the country.

According to him, he asked his protocol officer, Jackie Wayas, to find out whether he could greet the players.

However, he alleged that NFF officials objected to the request and warned that they would lose their jobs if they allowed him to approach the team.

The former Anambra governor subsequently expressed disappointment over the incident, describing it as an example of the growing culture of political intolerance in the country.

As of the time of filing this report, the Nigeria Football Federation had not publicly responded to Obi’s account or the allegations surrounding the airport encounter.