Peter Obi's airport visit to meet U-17 girls was for publicity, not support - NIS DG

The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Sports, NIS, Philip Shaibu, has described the sojourn of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, statesmanlike candidate, Peter Obi, to the airdrome to invited the victorious Flamingos arsenic an effort to summation publicity alternatively than amusement enactment for the team.

Shaibu made the assertion during an interrogation connected Channels Television.

He argued that the astir important enactment the players needed was the encouragement they received from President Bola Tinubu earlier and during their matches, alternatively than nationalist appearances aft securing victory.

According to him, Tinubu personally contacted the players astatine antithetic stages of the contention to promote them, adding that specified gestures meant much to the squad than an airdrome reception.

"The President volition not play to the gallery, and the First Lady volition not play to the gallery. Going to the airdrome to privation to spot them is playing to the gallery, arsenic acold arsenic I americium concerned," Shaibu said.

He explained that receiving encouragement from the President during hard moments could assistance players regain assurance and absorption connected their adjacent matches.

Shaibu, who said helium had antecedently been progressive successful sports medication arsenic a lawman governor, recalled however hard it was successful the past to get authorities governors to spe...