Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has taken a swipe at former Anambra State Governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, accusing him of hypocrisy over his allegation that Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials prevented him from greeting members of the victorious Flamingos.
Keyamo’s criticism followed Obi’s claim that officials of the football federation stopped him from exchanging pleasantries with Nigeria’s Under-17 women’s national team after their historic triumph at the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
In a post on his X account on Monday, the minister questioned why Obi, who frequently criticises the state of the country, was eager to associate himself with what he described as a national success story.
Keyamo suggested that Obi’s interest in meeting the victorious players might have been driven by a desire for publicity and photographs with the team.
He wrote: “Mr Peter Obi, in all your public vituperations, you often say things akin to the fact that ‘Nigeria is finished’. So, why are you now so anxious to associate with a success story of the country or this government? Just for photo ops? You see the hypocrisy?”
Obi had earlier made the allegation in a statement titled, A New Dimension of Toxic Politics in Nigeria, which he published on his X account.
The former Anambra governor said he arrived at the airport at about 7am on Monday to board a flight to Enugu when he spotted the Flamingos returning from Morocco after winning the global tournament.
He said he was excited to see the young players and subsequently asked his Protocol Officer, Jackie Wayas, to find out whether he could greet and congratulate the team.
However, Obi alleged that he was informed that NFF officials had rejected the request, warning that members of the delegation could lose their jobs if they allowed him to approach the players.
The NDC presidential candidate also recalled a similar incident on March 25, 2025, when he travelled to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, to watch a World Cup qualifying match.
According to him, although he was warmly received by the state governor at the VIP stand, he was prevented from greeting the players after the match, while other government officials were allowed to do so.
Expressing concern over what he described as increasing political intolerance in the country, Obi lamented that political differences were increasingly creating unnecessary hostility and divisions.
“It is deeply troubling to witness the extent of toxic politics into which our nation has descended since 2025. Each year appears to bring further deterioration. This reflects how deeply Nigeria has been affected,” he said.
He called for a society where political differences would not result in intimidation, discrimination or hostility, stressing the need for national unity and mutual respect beyond party affiliations.
Meanwhile, the Flamingos returned to Nigeria following their 2-1 victory over Japan in Saturday’s final in Rabat, Morocco, to emerge champions of the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup.
The victory made Nigeria the first African country to win the competition.
As of the time of filing this report, Obi had not publicly responded to Keyamo’s criticism, while the NFF had yet to issue an official statement addressing the allegation that its officials prevented the former governor from greeting the players.
