By Annette Ikponmwonba | November 11th, 2026
Key Points
· The camp of NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi has accused the government of being afraid of his growing popularity
· It dismissed claims that Obi was staging a political stunt by asking to greet the victorious national U-17 women’s team, the Flamingos, at the Abuja airport
· The camp said Obi was at the airport to catch a commercial flight to scheduled engagements and simply crossed paths with the team
· It alleged this was not the first time Obi was prevented from greeting victorious Nigerian athletes
· The camp said the government, officials and the APC are increasingly unsettled by Obi’s widespread public support
· The comments were made by an Obi representative and quoted on Channels Television on Wednesday
Main Story
The camp of Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate Peter Obi has accused the Nigerian government of being afraid of his growing popularity. It also dismissed accusations that Obi was trying to pull a political stunt over his request to greet the Flamingos, the victorious national U-17 women’s football team, at the Abuja airport.
Obi’s representative said the former Anambra State governor was at the airport like any other traveller, trying to board a commercial flight for scheduled engagements across the country, when he crossed paths with the girls. “I don’t understand what they mean by our candidate playing to the gallery. Every Nigerian knows that Peter Obi is a man on the move. He has engagements across the country, and at that time, he was at the airport just like any other traveller trying to catch a flight to his next destination,” the representative said, The spokesperson added: “It just so happened that the Flamingos were there at the same time, and like any patriotic Nigerian, he simply wanted to greet them and congratulate them on their victory.”
The Issues
The row shows how even a goodwill gesture toward national heroes can become political in a heated pre-election climate. Critics read Obi’s request as an attempt to share in the team’s spotlight, while his camp insists it was a spontaneous act of patriotism.
The camp went further, alleging the incident was not isolated. It claimed the government had previously used security or administrative barriers to prevent Obi from interacting with victorious Nigerian athletes during public appearances. These claims come from Obi’s side, and the report does not include evidence or a government response, The framing of the government as “jittery” fits the wider campaign narrative, in which Obi’s camp presents his public support as a threat to the ruling party, while the ruling side accuses him of seeking attention.
What’s Being Said
Obi’s representative said the government’s reaction reflected political anxiety. “This is not the first time this has happened. He has been prevented from greeting victorious Nigerian athletes before. This latest incident just shows how jittery the government is. They do not want him taking the spotlight because wherever Peter Obi goes, Nigerians rally behind him,” the representative said.
The camp said the federal government, its officials and the APC are increasingly unsettled by the opposition leader’s widespread support. The report also refers to a separate call by the National Sports Commission for Obi to apologise to the Flamingos, though its details were not included.
What’s Next
Attention will turn to whether the Presidency, the APC or the National Sports Commission respond to the camp’s claims, and whether the Flamingos or their officials comment on the encounter, The exchange is likely to continue as part of the wider campaign sparring ahead of the 2027 election, with both sides using the episode to reinforce their narratives.
Bottom Line
Obi’s camp is framing the airport row as proof that the government fears his popularity, while critics see a political stunt, leaving a feel-good moment for the Flamingos caught up in the campaign fight.
