Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on New Media, Segun Dada, has accused former Anambra State governor Peter Obi of politicising Nigeria’s national sports teams following a dispute over an alleged attempt to prevent him from greeting members of the Flamingos at an airport.
Dada made the accusation in a post on his X account, describing efforts to turn the incident into a political controversy as distasteful. He maintained that national athletes represent the entire country, not any political party or individual.
His reaction followed a statement by Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), who alleged that officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) stopped him from approaching members of Nigeria’s Under-17 women’s team shortly after their arrival at the airport.
Obi said he arrived at about 7 a.m. to board a flight to Enugu when he noticed the players preparing to board a vehicle.
He explained that he asked his protocol officer, Jackie Wayas, to establish whether he could greet and welcome the team. However, he said he was later informed that NFF officials had instructed that he should not approach the players.
According to Obi, he was also told that officials risked losing their jobs if they allowed him to interact with the team.
Dada rejected Obi’s portrayal of the incident as political victimisation, arguing that national teams should be shielded from partisan interests.
He said 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.
“Our national athletes, including the Under-17 girls’ team, represent the entire Federal Republic of Nigeria, not any specific political party or individual ambition,” Dada stated.
The presidential aide warned that presenting what he described as standard security and administrative procedures as political victimisation could undermine the national unity that sports should promote.
He also accused Obi of relying on unverified information to advance what he described as a victim narrative.
“Mr Peter Obi, I hope you will reflect on your manipulative way of life and stop weaponising unverified hearsay to build a victim narrative,” he said.
Dada urged the former governor to allow the players to concentrate on their sporting achievements without being drawn into political disagreements.
“Let our athletes focus on winning for Nigeria, free from political theatre,” he added.
Obi also recalled a similar incident on March 25, 2025, when he attended a FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
He alleged that although the state governor welcomed him at the VIP stand, officials prevented him from greeting the players after the match, reportedly because they feared losing their jobs.
The former governor described the two incidents as evidence of what he called an increasingly toxic political environment in Nigeria.
“The new Nigeria we aspire to build must have no room for hostility, intimidation, or discrimination, regardless of political affiliation,” Obi stated.
The disagreement comes as the Flamingos return to Nigeria following their historic triumph at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco. Nigeria defeated Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s final in Rabat to become the first African nation to win the competition.
