Presidency, Bashir Ahmad accuses Obi of politicizing Flamingos airport incident
by Moronfolu Adeyemi · The Eagle OnlineThe Presidency and former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad have criticised the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, over his claim that officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) prevented him from greeting members of the national Under-17 women’s team, the Flamingos, at an airport.
Obi had alleged that NFF officials stopped him from approaching the players, warning that they could lose their jobs if they allowed him to greet the team.
Reacting to the development on Monday, the Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, accused the opposition of attempting to politicise national sports teams and institutions.
Olusegun maintained that national athletes represented the entire country rather than individual politicians or political parties.
He said the Flamingos and other national teams “represent the entire Federal Republic of Nigeria, not any specific political party or individual ambition.”
He added that protocol guidelines governing national teams were intended to shield young athletes from unnecessary distractions while performing official duties.
According to him, the guidelines were designed to protect athletes from “political exploitation, commercial distractions, and unnecessary media circuses while on official duty.”
The presidential aide described Obi’s account as an attempt to portray routine security and administrative procedures as political victimisation.
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“To spin standard security and administrative protocols into a narrative of political victimisation is a disservice to the unity that sport is meant to foster in our country,” he said.
Olusegun also accused the former Anambra State governor of relying on unconfirmed information to advance his claims.
He urged Obi to avoid using “unverified hearsay to build a victim narrative” and allow athletes to concentrate on representing Nigeria.
Similarly, Ahmad, the National Director of Media Monitoring and Rapid Response of the City Boy Movement, rejected Obi’s description of the incident as a new dimension of toxic politics.
In his reaction, Ahmad argued that being prevented from greeting the players did not automatically amount to political persecution, suggesting that other considerations might have informed the decision.
“Protocol, security and administrative considerations must have been involved,” he said.
He urged Obi to approach the matter with facts and responsibility, stressing that national interests should take precedence over individual and political ambitions.
“A new Nigeria is possible, but not through perpetual political antagonism,” Ahmad added.
Obi had earlier explained that the incident occurred on Monday when he arrived at the airport for a flight to Enugu and noticed the Flamingos preparing to board a vehicle after returning to the country.
He said he asked his protocol officer, Jackie Wayas, to find out whether he could greet the players.
According to Obi, he was subsequently informed that NFF officials had objected to his approach, allegedly warning that they could lose their jobs if they allowed him to interact with the team.
The Nigeria Football Federation had not publicly commented on Obi’s account as of the time of filing this report.
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