Imagine landing at 7 a.m., spotting our world-conquering Flamingos, and being told: don't go near them, or we'll lose our jobs.

That's exactly what Peter Obi says happened to him on Monday morning.

Peter Obi turned up at the airport around 7 a.m. to catch a flight to Enugu. And who did he bump into? Our victorious U-17 women's team, the Flamingos, was just back home and about to leave the airport.

Naturally, he wanted to say well done. He sent his Protocol Officer, Jackie Wayas, to ask if he could greet them.

The answer he got? A flat no.

According to Obi, NFF officials said if he approached the team, they would all lose their jobs.

Yes, you read that right. Not for breaking a rule. For saying hello to teenage girls who just made Nigeria proud.

And Obi says this isn't even the first time.

He reminded us of Uyo on 25 March 2025, during a World Cup qualifier. The governor welcomed him warmly at the VIP stand, but after the match, when other officials went to greet the players, he was stopped. Same reason: they would lose their jobs if he proceeded.

So, why does this matter?

Because this is bigger than one airport greeting.

The Flamingos are not just a football team. They are Nigeria's most successful women's youth side, six-time African champions, and bronze medallists at the 2022 U-17 Women's World Cup in India. They represent hope, discipline, and what happens when young Nigerian girls are given a chance.

When politics gets in the way of celebrating them, we all lose.

Obi calls it a "new dimension of toxic politics", a climate, he says, that has worsened since 2025, where your party card now decides who you can shake hands with.

In Nigeria, sports bodies like the NFF work closely with government. That closeness can turn into fear. Officials worry that being seen with an opposition figure could be read as disloyalty. So instead of protecting the players, they protect their jobs.

But here's the human angle: those Flamingos didn't win for APC, PDP, or NDC. They won for Nigeria. A simple "well done" should never be political.

Obi's message was simple: a new Nigeria must have no room for hostility, intimidation, or discrimination, regardless of political affiliation. Unity and mutual respect must come first.

His words: "A new Nigeria is Possible."

Will the NFF respond and explain its side?

Will the Flamingos get the proper national reception they deserve, free from politics?

And will we finally agree that national pride belongs to all of us?

Because if we can't even celebrate our daughters together, what can we agree on?

Source: cbiNews.tv

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