Olopade Accuses Peter Obi of False Claims Over Flamingos Airport Reception

Posted : 10 November 2026

Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade, has strongly criticised Peter Obi following the former Anambra State governor's allegation that Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials prevented him from greeting the victorious Flamingos at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

Olopade described Obi as a "pathological liar" and argued that the circumstances surrounding the team's arrival contradicted the account presented by the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). The disagreement followed Nigeria's historic triumph at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco.

Obi had claimed that he arrived at the Abuja airport at approximately 7 a.m. on Monday, November 9, while preparing to board a flight to Enugu. He said he spotted the returning Flamingos and instructed his Protocol Officer, Jackie Wayas, to establish whether he could approach the players and congratulate them.

According to Obi, his request was rejected by NFF officials, who allegedly warned that they could lose their jobs if they allowed him to meet the team. He subsequently described the incident in a statement titled "A New Dimension of Toxic Politics in Nigeria", accusing the authorities of allowing political differences to influence interactions with national representatives.

However, Olopade disputed the account, offering a different explanation based on the team's arrival arrangements. The NSC Director-General said the Flamingos landed in Abuja at approximately 5:30 a.m., when it was still dark and domestic flight check-in operations had not commenced.

He further explained that the players completed immigration procedures before leaving through an underground passage at the international terminal. According to Olopade, Obi's reported presence at the domestic terminal made it unlikely that he could have encountered the players in the manner he described.

"The plane landed at 5:30 a.m. It was still very dark. No local flight was checking in at that time. Even if they were checking in, there was no way Obi would have seen those children from where he was at the local airport," Olopade stated.

The NSC boss also challenged Obi's account of a similar incident involving the Super Eagles in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on March 25, 2025. He maintained that FIFA-organised matches operate under established security arrangements, which regulate access to players and their dressing rooms.

Olopade stressed that political recognition or public status did not automatically grant anyone access to national team players. He also criticised Obi for allegedly acting against the principles of orderliness and good governance that he promotes.

"This is a man who says he wants to govern on orderliness, yet he is being disorderly," the NSC chief added.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government also criticised Obi's comments, arguing that national sports teams represent the entire country rather than individual politicians or political parties. Presidential aide Dada Olusegun described the allegation as an attempt to portray standard security and administrative procedures as political victimisation.

The controversy has emerged during celebrations of the Flamingos' historic achievement. Nigeria defeated Japan 2-1 in the final in Rabat, becoming the first African country to win the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.

Awawu Bashiru and Oluebube Umejiaku scored the decisive goals, with Umejiaku also claiming the tournament's Golden Ball award. The team received a welcome from NFF and NSC officials following their return to Abuja.

Olopade urged Nigerians to keep the attention on the young champions rather than allow political disagreements to overshadow their accomplishment. He maintained that the players deserved national recognition for their achievement.

Olopade Accuses Peter Obi of False Claims Over Flamingos Airport Reception

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