Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has accused officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) of stopping him from congratulating the Flamingos after their World Cup triumph.

What Obi said

Obi said he was at the airport in Abuja at about 7am on Monday, 9 November 2026, to catch a flight to Enugu, when he saw the Flamingos, who had just arrived with the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup trophy. He said he asked his protocol officer to find out if he could go over and welcome the players, but was told that NFF officials had refused, reportedly warning that anyone who allowed him near the team would lose their job.

'Not the first time'

Obi said this was not the first time he had been prevented from supporting a national team. He recalled travelling to Uyo in March 2025 to watch a World Cup qualifier against Zimbabwe, and said that although he was warmly received before the match, he was not allowed the same access afterwards.

Background

The Flamingos beat Japan 2-1 in the final in Rabat on Saturday to become the first African team to win the tournament, and were welcomed back to Nigeria on Monday. President Bola Tinubu and the First Lady have both congratulated the team.

What happens next

The NFF had not publicly responded to Obi's claim at the time of writing.

Ebonyi State governor Francis Nwifuru has promised President Bola Tinubu 80 per cent of the state's votes in the 2027 presidential election.

What he said

Speaking at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential rally in Abakaliki on Monday, 9 November 2026, Nwifuru told the President that Ebonyi was an APC state, that 80 per cent of its votes were assured for him and that he would win by a landslide.

Background

The rally is part of Tinubu's campaign tour of the South-East and South-South, which has included stops in Akwa Ibom and Rivers states in the past week. Several South-East governors have declared support for the President, and the APGA in Anambra has also adopted him as its candidate. The South-East, however, is the home region of NDC candidate Peter Obi, who won most of the region's votes in 2023, and his party has set ambitious targets of its own, including 98 per cent of Anambra's votes.

How people reacted

The governor's pledge drew mixed reactions on social media. Supporters of the President welcomed it, while others questioned whether any governor could guarantee how residents would vote.

What happens next

The presidential election is scheduled for 16 January 2027.

Oyo State governor Seyi Makinde, presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), has visited Angwan Rukuba in Jos North, Plateau State, to console families of victims of a deadly attack earlier this year.

The visit

During the visit on Sunday, 8 November 2026, Makinde met residents at the home of the community head and described the killings as a national tragedy rather than a local matter. He urged the grieving community not to give up on Nigeria and assured them they were not alone. He also visited the family of Promise Gideon Ayuba, one of the victims, whose mother received him and prayed for him.

The attack

Armed men on motorcycles attacked the Gari Ya Waye area of the community on the evening of 29 March 2026, Palm Sunday, killing 33 people. The victim's mother, Favour Ayuba, drew national attention after a video showed her placing a cutlass in her son's coffin as a demand for justice. She was also among relatives who met former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby when he visited Plateau in September.

Background

Plateau State has suffered repeated deadly attacks in recent years, with communities in Jos and surrounding areas affected. Makinde is campaigning across the country ahead of the 16 January 2027 presidential election, and his campaign this week also criticised President Bola Tinubu's claims about the naira.

The presidential campaign of Oyo State governor Seyi Makinde has criticised President Bola Tinubu's claims about the naira.

What the campaign said

In a statement reported on Monday, 9 November 2026, Richard Nnanna Ihediwa, director of strategic communications for the Makinde–Daura campaign, accused the President of trying to take credit for the naira's recent stability after policies that first caused a drastic fall in its value. He said the President could not preside over the destruction of the currency's purchasing power and then ask for applause. The campaign pointed out that the official exchange rate was about ₦461 to the dollar when Tinubu took office in May 2023, before the removal of the fuel subsidy and the unification of the exchange rate, and said marginal improvements offer little relief to people facing high inflation.

Background

The statement responds to Tinubu's remarks in Uyo last week, where he said the naira would have become worthless without his reforms and put the current rate at about ₦1,300 to the dollar. Makinde is the candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), with former DSS chief Lawal Musa Daura as his running mate, and recently launched his 'Reset Agenda' manifesto. The government has said the old official rate understated the true value of the dollar and that unification was needed.

What happens next

The presidential election is scheduled for 16 January 2027.