The National Sports Commission (NSC) has warned former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi against politicising the reception of Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, following their return from Morocco as FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup champions.
The commission said Obi’s portrayal of events at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, suggested political exclusion, insisting that the team’s historic achievement should unite Nigerians rather than become a subject of partisan controversy.
In a statement issued on Monday, November 9, 2026, and signed by NSC Chairman, Shehu Dikko, the commission said officials of the NSC and Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) who received the players reported that they did not see Obi around the team at the airport.
According to the officials, two individuals wearing campaign face caps and other Peter Obi-branded attire approached them with a request for the former presidential candidate to meet and take photographs with the players. The proposed interaction was also expected to involve campaign materials.
The NSC explained that the Flamingos had arrived early that morning aboard an Air Maroc flight at about 5:30 a.m. and were tired after their journey and demanding World Cup campaign. It said officials declined the unscheduled request, considering the players’ welfare and the absence of any prior arrangement for the proposed meeting.
The commission added that there was no indication from the officials’ account that anyone’s job was threatened over the decision.
It further argued 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 through the international terminal.
The NSC said passengers and other Nigerians at the international terminal welcomed the players without discrimination, taking photographs, dancing and shaking hands with them as they made their way to their buses. It also claimed that media footage of the reception did not show Obi near the team or around the international terminal.
Dikko criticised Obi for presenting the incident as evidence of political intimidation without first seeking clarification from the NSC or NFF.
He said turning a request for an unscheduled interaction into an allegation of political victimisation had shifted attention away from the players’ achievement. He urged Obi to reflect on his actions and offer an unreserved apology to the young athletes.
The NSC chairman stressed that the Flamingos are minors and have a designated safeguarding official within their technical crew to protect their welfare and dignity. He said access to the players and photography sessions must be properly managed and conducted in line with relevant regulations.
According to him, national athletes should not be placed in situations that suggest allegiance to any political party, adding that the same standards should apply to public officials, political figures and members of the public.
Dikko also highlighted the team’s preparation, saying the players had spent more than seven months preparing for the competition through training, World Cup qualifiers, the WAFU tournament and the final competition in Morocco.
While acknowledging Obi’s congratulatory messages during the closing stages of the tournament, he said national teams deserved consistent support throughout their preparation, competitions and difficult periods, rather than attention only when they won trophies.
The NSC chairman invited Obi and other Nigerians interested in meeting or hosting the Flamingos to submit formal requests through the commission or the NFF so that appropriate arrangements could be made around the players’ schedule and welfare.
He cited the example of a Nigerian businessman who reportedly sponsored a delegation to Morocco to support the team during the final and subsequently donated $50,000 to the players on the pitch.
Dikko also dismissed Obi’s claim that he was prevented from visiting the Super Eagles in their dressing room after Nigeria’s 1-1 World Cup qualifying draw against Zimbabwe in Uyo on March 25, 2025.
He said he sat in the same row as Obi and several state governors during the match, adding that the Super Eagles players had requested privacy after the unfavourable result to hold an immediate meeting among themselves.
According to Dikko, no dignitary or official, including himself, the governors and senior NFF officials, entered the dressing room because the players had declined visitors.
He further explained that the match was governed by FIFA protocols, with an appointed security official responsible for controlling access to restricted areas, including the dressing rooms. He said unauthorised access could expose the NFF to sanctions, including fines or a possible ban on the stadium from hosting future matches.
The NSC chairman concluded that football remained a national asset capable of bringing Nigerians together across ethnic, religious and political differences.
He said the Flamingos’ World Cup victory belonged to all Nigerians and should be celebrated as a source of national pride rather than turned into another platform for political division.
