Keyamo Criticizes Obi for Alleged Hypocrisy Over Flamingos Greeting Incident

Festus Keyamo, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has accused Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, of hypocrisy. This accusation comes after Obi claimed that officials from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) stopped him from greeting the Flamingos, the country’s Under-17 women’s national football team, at the airport.

Keyamo made his remarks on social media, questioning why Obi wanted to associate with the team’s success despite his frequent criticisms of Nigeria. He suggested that Obi was only interested in taking photos with the players for publicity.

Obi stated that he arrived at the airport early on Monday to board a flight to Enugu when he saw the team returning from their victory over Japan in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. He asked his Protocol Officer to check if he could greet the players but was told by NFF officials that they could not allow him to approach them.

The former governor of Anambra State also recalled a similar incident in March 2025, when he was reportedly barred from greeting the national team after a World Cup qualifying match. Obi expressed his concern about what he called a toxic political culture, arguing that political differences should not prevent respect and celebration of national achievements.

He emphasized that the Nigeria people aspire to build should not tolerate hostility or discrimination based on political beliefs. The Flamingos returned to Abuja after their recent victory, highlighting their achievement in the tournament.