The Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, has knocked the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his claim that officials prevented him from greeting the country’s Under-17 women’s football team.
Naija News reports that Olusegun accused Obi of trying to drag national sports teams into politics, describing his comments as distasteful.
He made his position known in a statement on his social media page. The presidential aide stressed that national athletes represent the whole country and not any political party or individual.
He explained that the protocols guiding national teams were meant to shield young athletes from political exploitation, commercial distractions and undue media attention while on duty.
“To spin standard security and administrative protocols into a narrative of political victimisation is a disservice to the unity that sports are meant to foster in our country,” he said.
Olusegun urged the NDC candidate to stop using unverified claims to paint himself as a victim.
“Mr Peter Obi, I hope you will reflect on your manipulative way of life and stop weaponising unverified hearsay to build a victim narrative. Let our athletes focus on winning for Nigeria, free from political theatre,” he said.
In a post on his 𝕏 handle, Obi condemned what he called a new dimension of toxic politics in the country.
He alleged that officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) stopped him from greeting the young players, claiming they feared losing their jobs if they allowed him near the team.
The Flamingos recently won the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, beating Japan 2-1 in the final.
