Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has criticised the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, accusing him of hypocrisy following his allegation that officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) prevented him from greeting members of the victorious Flamingos at the Abuja airport.
Keyamo made the criticism in a post on his X account on Monday, November 9, 2026, questioning Obi’s interest in associating with what he described as a success story of Nigeria and the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.
The minister suggested that Obi was seeking publicity through photographs with the country’s Under-17 women’s national football team following their historic achievement at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
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In his post, Keyamo wrote:
“Mr Peter Obi, in all your public vituperations, you often say things akin to the fact that ‘Nigeria is finished’. So, why are you now so anxious to associate with a success story of the country or this government? Just for photo ops? You see the hypocrisy?”
Earlier on Monday, Obi had accused NFF officials of preventing him from greeting the Flamingos when the team returned to Nigeria after winning the tournament.
In a statement titled “A New Dimension of Toxic Politics in Nigeria”, the former Anambra State governor said he arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja around 7 a.m. to board a flight to Enugu when he sighted the victorious players preparing to leave the airport.
Obi said he subsequently asked his Protocol Officer, Jackie Wayas, to find out whether he could approach the team and congratulate the players.
However, he claimed he was informed that NFF officials had rejected the request and warned that they could lose their jobs if they allowed him to interact with the players.
The NDC presidential candidate described the incident as another example of what he called the growing culture of toxic politics in Nigeria.
He also recalled a similar experience on March 25, 2025, when he travelled to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, for a World Cup qualifying match. According to him, although the state governor welcomed him at the VIP stand, he was later prevented from greeting the players after the match.
Obi argued that political differences should not prevent Nigerians from celebrating national achievements or showing mutual respect, regardless of political affiliation.
Meanwhile, the Presidency also criticised Obi’s account of the airport incident. The Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, accused opposition figures of attempting to politicise national sports teams.
Olusegun maintained that national athletes represent the entire country rather than any political party or individual, adding that protocol arrangements are intended to protect athletes from political distractions and unnecessary media attention.
The NFF had not publicly responded to Obi’s allegation as of the time of reporting.
Flamingos Make History in Morocco
The controversy comes shortly after the Flamingos recorded a historic achievement by defeating Japan 2-1 in the final of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Rabat, Morocco.
Goals from Awawu Bashiru in the 39th minute and Oluebube Umejiaku in the 47th minute secured the victory for Nigeria, while Japan scored a late goal in the 80th minute.
The triumph made Nigeria the first African country to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The team returned to Abuja on Monday, November 9, following the historic victory, which has attracted congratulations and celebrations from Nigerians.
The exchange between Keyamo and Obi has added a political dimension to the team’s homecoming, with both the airport allegation and the minister’s response generating public debate.
