Keyamo accuses Peter Obi of hypocrisy after under-17 girls team incident
Abdullateef Fowewe
Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo has accused former Anambra State governor and opposition figure Peter Obi of hypocrisy for seeking to associate with a national sporting success while frequently portraying Nigeria in a negative light.
In a post on X on Monday, Keyamo responded to Obi’s earlier statement.
“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?” Keyamo wrote.
Obi had earlier shared details of an encounter at the airport.
He said he arrived at 7 a.m. to board a flight to Enugu and saw the Nigeria Under-17 girls’ football team, which had just returned and was preparing to leave.
He asked his protocol officer to check if he could greet and welcome the players.
According to Obi, officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) refused and told him not to approach the team because “if I did, they would all lose their jobs.”
He described the episode as part of “a new dimension of toxic politics in Nigeria” that has developed since 2025.
Obi also referenced a similar incident on March 25, 2025, in Uyo during a World Cup qualifier, where he said he was again prevented from greeting players after the match despite being welcomed by the state governor.
“It is deeply troubling to witness the extent of toxic politics into which our nation has descended since 2025,” Obi wrote.
“The new Nigeria we aspire to build must have no room for hostility, intimidation, or discrimination, regardless of political affiliation.”
