Of Flamingos, Peter Obi and greeting controversies: Who is really politicising sports?

“Can  I please greet members of our victorious Flamingos, who conquered the world to lift the U-17 Female World Cup,” Mr Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, reportedly begged officials of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) when the female world champions arrived home, Nigeria.

“No, you can’t meet or greet any of them, Sir. If we allow you to do that, we will lose our jobs,” the frightened officials replied the shocked politician.

That was how the current national controversy over politicisation of sports began.

Coming just a few months before the 2027 General Election in Nigeria, the heat this simple encounter has generated within these few days is only expected.

It began immediately after the encounter at the Airport, where Peter Obi pleaded for an opportunity to greet and cheer the returning victorious Nigerian U-17 female footballers, the Flamingos, and he was bluntly refused.

As would be expected, Obi had complained bitterly, criticising the decision of not allowing him to greet and encourage the girls.

Considering his position as an opposition leader, Obi’s encounter is already at the very centre of political discussions of today.

Reacting to the awkward development, some Presidency official accused Obi of trying to politicise sports, stating that “official protocol and security would not permit what Obi wanted to do.”

Whatever this defence truly means may still be made known in the near future, but one thing is certain, it is instructive that within hours after the incidence, the controversy that trailed it clearly increased the very pulse of the ongoing 2027 Elections campaigns.

First, Obi, in his usual outspokenness, complained audibly against the refusal. As would be expected,  millions of Nigerians, including Obi’s ardent supporters, promptly joined him to condemn the act of refusing a Nigerian citizen’s harmless offer to greet victorious fellow Nigerians.

But then, government officials, who responded to the complaints frowned at Obi’s attempt to personally meet with the girls even as they accused the Presidential Candidate of NDC of politicising sports through his actions and complaints.

Obi had complained that when he realised the victorious girls (Flamingos players) had arrived the country and were indeed at the same Airport with him, he asked his protocol officer, Jackie Wayas, to find out whether he could greet them but he was told that NFF officials had objected, warning that they would lose their jobs if he approached the team.

Reacting to this in a statement released on Monday, the Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, accused the opposition leader, Obi, of “attempting to politicise national sports teams and institutions.”

He said national athletes, including the Flamingos, “represent the entire Federal Republic of Nigeria, not any specific political party or individual ambition,” adding that “protocol guidelines for national teams were designed to protect young athletes from “political exploitation, commercial distractions, and unnecessary media circuses while on official duty.”

The Presidential aide also described Obi’s account as “an attempt to turn standard security and administrative procedures into a case of political victimisation.”

He further said: “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.”

I have tried to make sense of these verbal exchanges but to be frank with you, I am somehow confused over who exactly, between Obi and the Presidential aide, is actually politicising sports here?

Yes, I do not know the details of the protocol guidelines the presidential aide referred to, but I am at a loss as to how greeting of the young girls by a personality like Obi would distract them from being good ambassadors of Nigeria they have become and how that would result to their political exploitation?

It may be that the said protocol guidelines, the aides referred to, are new documents, perhaps parts of the great changes Nigeria has enjoyed since 2023.

I say so because I know Obi’s attempt to specially greet victorious Nigerian athletes is not the first of it’s kind in the country.

Such gesture has been part of our sports history. Yes  politicians of note have always joined top government functionaries to greet and celebrate Nigerian athletes after each victorious outing.

So, why is Obi’s attempt to rejoice with the Flamingos treated with so much suspicion or is it dread?

In the days of the late MKO Abiola, I recall that everyone looked forward for his generous greeting of every successful Nigerian team.

Abiola then described as the pillar of sports in our clime, even when he became a major politician, a presidential candidate in the country, was neither stopped from greeting successful Nigerian athletes or accused of politically exploiting Nigerian athletes. Never! Instead, his interest in and generosity towards young athletes and teams were hailed by all, including the governments then.

More so, he did this gladly with national acclaim and nobody spoke of any danger of distracting our players or other athletes then.

As I said earlier, it is likely the protocol or guideline, the Presidency referred to is a new document.

If this is the case, it is my opinion that instead of fighting Peter Obi for doing what he thought was the right thing to do, Presidential aides should open up the more and tell Nigerians the whole truth on why they do not want Obi near the victorious Flamingos.

If I may ask, in which way is Obi’s nearness to the girls considered a possible security risk?

Is there a danger that if Obi is allowed to come too close to the girls, he would convert them to Obidients within the short period, thereby distracting their football careers?

Already, Peter Obi is widely considered not to be a reckless money spender or distributor, so it would not be expected of the Presidency or any other person for that matter, to be afraid Obi, if allowed to greet the girls, would have doled out so much money to them that would entice them to dump other parties for Obi’s NDC in Nigeria.

Also, the presidential aide was also reported as  accusing Obi of using “unverified hearsay to build a victim narrative.”

Since the narrative is true, that is that Obi was actually denied an opportunity to greet the members of the victorious Flamingos in such a despicable manner, does it not sound clearly ill-mannered to also try to deny  Obi is one of the victims of that sad Airport outing?

• Samuel Hezekiah Egburonu Esq, is a lawyer, veteran journalist, literary scholar and current affairs analyst