The controversy surrounding Peter Obi’s claim that he was prevented from greeting Nigeria’s victorious Flamingos at Abuja airport has taken a new turn, with the Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Bukola Olopade, disputing the former governor’s account.
Olopade questioned whether Obi could have seen the players at the airport at the time he claimed, pointing to the team’s arrival time and the route through which they exited the terminal.
His response came in a WhatsApp group in which TheAthleticNG is a participant, following the sharing of its report on Obi’s allegation. Olopade strongly criticised the former Anambra State governor, describing him as a “pathological liar”.
The NSC chief said the Flamingos arrived at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja at approximately 5:30 a.m., when it was still dark. He also argued that domestic flight check-in activities had not started at the time.
“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 said.
He further explained that the players passed through immigration and left through the underground exit at the international airport, maintaining that the airport arrangements made Obi’s account difficult to accept.
Olopade also challenged the former governor’s recollection of an earlier encounter involving Nigerian footballers during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, in March 2025.
READ MORE:Peter Obi: NFF officials stopped me from greeting Flamingos at Abuja airport
O bi had claimed that he was prevented from greeting the Super Eagles after Nigeria’s match despite being welcomed by the state governor at the VIP stand.
However, Olopade argued that access to players during FIFA-organised matches is governed by established protocols, regardless of an individual’s political position.
“In Uyo, for those who know FIFA-organised matches, you cannot say because you are Obi or anyone else, you want to go and see the players in their dressing room. There are protocols,” he said.
The NSC director-general also questioned the consistency between Obi’s criticism of the incident and his advocacy for orderliness and good governance.
“This is a man who says he wants to govern on orderliness, yet he is being disorderly,” he added.
He further cautioned against allowing the disagreement to overshadow the Flamingos’ historic achievement, insisting that the players deserved to remain at the centre of the national conversation.
“We should stop all this nonsense. Everything should not be about politics. He cannot take away the shine and glory of these girls,” Olopade said.
Obi had made the original allegation in a statement released on Monday, November 9, titled “A New Dimension of Toxic Politics in Nigeria”.
The former governor said he arrived at Abuja airport at about 7 a.m. to board a flight to Enugu when he noticed the returning Flamingos. He then instructed his Protocol Officer, Jackie Wayas, to find out whether he could greet and congratulate the players.
READ MORE: FIFA: No prize money for Nigeria’s Flamingos despite historic World Cup triumph – Here’s why
According to Obi, he was subsequently informed that NFF officials had refused permission for him to approach the team.
“I was informed that officials of the Nigerian Football Federation had refused and had requested that I not approach,” he said.
He also recalled the alleged incident in Uyo in March 2025, claiming that officials had prevented him from greeting the Super Eagles after the match despite his earlier welcome at the VIP stand.
The two accounts now present contrasting explanations of what happened during the Flamingos’ return to Abuja. While Obi maintains that he was prevented from greeting the players, Olopade has questioned whether the former governor could have seen the team given its arrival time and exit arrangements.
The NFF’s response to Obi’s original allegation had not been reported in the information available for this article.
The dispute comes after the Flamingos made history in Morocco, defeating Japan 2–1 in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup final to become the first African nation to win the competition.
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Awawu Bashiru and Oluebube Umejiaku scored for Nigeria before Japan’s Fuki Ito pulled one back. The team held on to secure the title, making its return home an occasion that had been expected to focus on the players’ achievement.
Instead, the disagreement between Obi and Olopade has introduced a fresh dimension to the reception controversy, with questions about the airport encounter now competing for attention with the Flamingos’ historic triumph.
