2026 U-17 WWC: Stop playing victim’- Presidency slams Peter Obi

President Bola Tinubu’s Special Assistant on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, has criticised the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, over his comments on the alleged mistreatment of Nigeria’s Under-17 female football team.

Olusegun accused Obi of attempting to politicise the country’s national sports teams and institutions, describing his actions as distasteful.

He made this known in a statement shared on his social media platform, where he insisted that national athletes represent the entire Federal Republic of Nigeria and not any political party or individual.

According to him, protocols guiding national teams are designed to protect young athletes from political exploitation, commercial distractions and unnecessary media attention while on official duty.

He said, “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.”

“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 added.

Obi had earlier taken to his X handle to condemn what he described as a new dimension of toxic politics in Nigeria.

The NDC presidential candidate had alleged that officials of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, prevented him from greeting the young players, claiming they feared losing their jobs if they allowed him to interact with the team.