NFF Blocks Me From Greeting Flamingos At Airport – Obi

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, recounted his recent encounter with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), alleging that NFF officials feared losing their jobs if they let him approach the players.

In a post on X on Monday, Obi raised the alarm about what he titled “a new dimension of toxic politics in Nigeria.”

He said he arrived at the airport to board a flight to Enugu at 7 a.m. when he saw the team preparing to leave for town.

He said he asked his Protocol Officer, Jackie Wayas, to find out if he could greet the players but was told that NFF officials had refused his request. According to Obi, the officials warned that they could lose their jobs if he approached the team.

“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” Obi said.

He also recalled a similar incident on March 25, 2025, when he attended a World Cup qualifier in Uyo. Obi claimed that although the governor welcomed him at the VIP stand, officials later prevented him from greeting the players after the match.

“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” he said.

Reacting to both incidents, the presidential candidate described what he experienced as another example of what he called toxic politics in Nigeria.

“The new Nigeria we aspire to build must have no room for hostility, intimidation, or discrimination, regardless of political affiliation,” Obi wrote.

“It must be a Nigeria in which unity, mutual respect, and our shared humanity take precedence over political differences.”