NSC Tells Peter Obi to Apologise To Flamingos Over Airport Reception Controversy

The National Sports Commission (NSC) has requested former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, to apologise to Nigeria’s U-17 ladies’s nationwide crew, the Flamingos, over his claims that he was prevented from assembly the gamers on the Abuja airport following their return from the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

The fee described Obi’s portrayal of the incident as an act of political exclusion as deceptive, insisting that the crew’s reception shouldn’t be changed into a partisan controversy.

NSC Chairman, Shehu Dikko, said this in a press assertion on Monday, November 9, 2026, in response to Obi’s account of the incident.

The fee mentioned officers of the NSC and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) who accompanied and acquired the crew reported that they didn’t see Obi across the gamers on the airport.

According to the assertion, two people carrying marketing campaign face caps and different Peter Obi-branded apparel approached the officers to request a gathering and pictures between the previous governor and the gamers.

It added that the proposed association may even have concerned marketing campaign supplies.

Explaining why the request was declined, the fee mentioned the gamers had arrived early within the morning aboard an Air Maroc flight at about 5:30 a.m. and had been exhausted after their journey and a demanding competitors.

READ ALSO: Peter Obi Is A ‘Pathological Liar’, He Could Not Have Seen Flamingos – NSC DG

The assertion reads partially: “The officers exercised their judgment in declining the sudden assembly and {photograph} request at the moment, taking account of the gamers’ welfare and the circumstances of the request and with none prior discover of any association for airport reception for the crew.

“Nothing in the account provided by the officials supports the suggestion that their jobs were at risk.”

The NSC additional argued that Obi, who reportedly mentioned he was on the airport to board a flight to Enugu, would ordinarily have used the home terminal, whereas the Flamingos arrived via the worldwide terminal.

It maintained that passengers and airport officers welcomed the gamers with out discrimination, including that Nigerians current on the airport took images with them, danced and shook fingers with the crew as they proceeded to their buses.

The fee additionally faulted Obi for describing the incident as political intimidation with out first looking for clarification from the NSC or the NFF.

Dikko mentioned: “Turning a request for an unscheduled interaction into a toxic narrative of political victimisation shifts attention from the players’ achievement to an individual political grievance. These young champions should not be drawn into that controversy and never deserved this from Mr. Obi.”

He urged the previous governor to “reflect deeply and offer an unreserved apology to these young girls for souring their moment of glory with his regrettable actions, subsequent statement and media interviews deliberately weaponising a non-issue for political gain.”

The fee additionally emphasised that the Flamingos are minors whose welfare and safety should information each engagement with them.

It mentioned the crew has a devoted safeguarding official inside its technical crew to be sure that interactions, together with deliberate images periods, adjust to related rules.

“These young athletes must not be used to suggest allegiance to any political party. These considerations apply equally to public officials, political figures and other members of the public,” the assertion added.

The NSC additionally highlighted the crew’s preparation earlier than successful the competitors, noting that the gamers spent greater than seven months making ready, present process coaching, taking part in World Cup qualifiers and the WAFU event earlier than competing in Morocco.

While acknowledging Obi’s congratulatory messages in direction of the closing phases of the event, the fee mentioned help for nationwide groups ought to prolong past their victories.

It referred to as on the previous governor and different Nigerians excited by assembly or internet hosting the gamers to submit formal requests via the NSC or NFF to allow applicable preparations.

The fee cited the instance of a Nigerian businessman who sponsored a delegation to Morocco to help the crew through the ultimate and subsequently donated $50,000 to the gamers on the pitch with out looking for media consideration.

The NSC chairman additionally disputed Obi’s declare that he was beforehand prevented from visiting the Super Eagles of their dressing room after Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying match in opposition to Zimbabwe in Uyo on March 25, 2025.

Dikko mentioned he sat on the identical row with Obi and a number of other governors through the match, including that the gamers declined to obtain guests after the unfavourable end result as a result of they needed to maintain an inside assembly.

He mentioned no dignitary or official, together with himself, the governors and senior NFF officers, was allowed into the dressing room.

According to him, the match was ruled by FIFA protocols, which limit entry to technical areas, together with dressing rooms, to accredited individuals.

He defined that anybody looking for entry to such areas should receive clearance via the soccer federation, warning that breaches may entice fines in opposition to the federation or lead to the stadium being barred from internet hosting future matches.

Reaffirming the fee’s place, Dikko mentioned the Flamingos’ World Cup triumph ought to function a supply of nationwide unity moderately than political division.

“Football is our National Asset that brings Nigerians collectively throughout ethnic, spiritual, and political variations and, certainly, breaks all our fault traces.

“Our national teams belong to every Nigerian. The Flamingos have earned the country’s admiration, and their World Cup victory should strengthen our unity. It must not become another platform for partisan division,” the assertion added.