'You are not President' - Bashir Ahmad says Peter Obi can't meet U-17 girls before Tinubu

Former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad has clarified why NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi cannot greet Nigeria's Under-17 women football team upon their return to the country ahead of President Bola Tinubu. In a post on X, Ahmad argued that Obi does not possess the authority to welcome the victorious team due to his position as a presidential candidate, not the President himself.

Obi had criticized officials of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) for allegedly preventing him from greeting the triumphant team upon their arrival in Enugu. Responding to Obi's claim, Ahmad stated on X: "Just to add this as a private citizen, you simply cannot have the privilege of welcoming home a national team that has won a World Cup ahead of the President, because that responsibility belongs to the nation."

He emphasized that the players are not abandoned and have made the entire country proud, therefore deserving of proper celebration at a venue befitting their historic achievement, rather than on the tarmac. Ahmad reiterated: "You are not President."