Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has criticised the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, following his allegation that officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) prevented him from meeting members of Nigeria’s Under-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, at the airport.

Keyamo expressed his displeasure in a post on his official X account on Monday, November 9, 2026, where he questioned Obi’s decision to associate himself with the team's achievement.

Reacting to the former Anambra State governor’s complaint, the minister recalled Obi’s previous comments about Nigeria’s condition, arguing that it was contradictory for him to seek association with a positive development involving the country or the government.

Keyamo suggested that Obi’s interest in meeting the young footballers might have been motivated by a desire to take photographs with them rather than genuine support for their achievement.

In his words, “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?”

The minister’s reaction followed Obi’s earlier expression of concern over what he described as the growing culture of toxic politics in Nigeria. Obi had alleged that NFF officials prevented him from greeting and congratulating the Flamingos when he attempted to meet the players at the Abuja airport.

The development has generated further political exchanges, bringing the conduct of football officials and the relationship between politics and national sporting achievements into public discussion.

While Obi criticised the alleged treatment he received, Keyamo questioned his motives, turning the incident into another disagreement between prominent political figures ahead of the 2027 general elections.