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FOOTBALL ICON, ODEGBAMI MAKES PASSIONATE APPEAL OVER HIS GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDACY

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Former Nigeria national football team captain and a continental icon, Segun Odegbami who has ventured into politics, has sent a passionate appeal to members of the sports community for support.

He is a candidate for governorship seat of Ogun State on the platform of Zenith Labour Party. His appeal in the form of an open letter to the sports constituency reads:

My dear Friends in Sports,

Some months ago, I took a major step that you all are likely to be aware of.  I joined the train of Nigerian politics.

I understand the reaction of most of you in keeping a respectable distance from my unilateral decision by not openly associating with it in anyway, or even expressing an opinion, one way or the other. You all may also already have your political interests and affiliation.

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I believe that had I informed you, or sought your opinion on the matter, it is most probable that you would have advised me to avoid the temptation, by all means, and not ventured to enter into the Lion’s den of Nigerian politics.

You would probably have correctly reminded me of our past general understanding of the relation between sports and politics. They never worked well together.

Strategically, those were the sentiments I did not want to hear at all at the time I took my decision.

Nigerian politics are not of the sort that, as a sportsman, an Olympian for that matter, I would ordinarily want to be associated with – the graft, the lies, the corruption, the intimidation, the treachery and betrayals, even killings -conducts and tendencies that do not work well with the values that we espouse in competitive sport – merit, transparency, equity, excellence, healthy competitiveness, fair play, clear rules and regulations, winning and losing graciously, friendship, discipline, honesty, equality, and integrity.

On the value scale, Sports and Politics are planets apart from each other.

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So, for me to have unilaterally plunged into this obvious murky minefield means there must be more to my decision than meets the ordinary eye. Yes, indeed, there is.

The separation  of Sport from politics in Nigeria has been responsible, in the main, for the stunted growth of an industry that should be thriving with the abundance of natural talent available. Sport has the capacity to make Nigeria a global superpower.

Through sport we could have united Nigerian people better, ‘laundered the image of the country better, taken a lot of our young boys and girls off the tracks of illiteracy, joblessness, drugs, prostitution, crime and uncontrolled emigration, and prepared them to pursue happiness through a sector they have a passion for, that engages them, creates global job opportunities for them,makes them healthy, wealthy and wise, empowers them, and imbibes in them the best of human values.

What we do now is deny the entire demography of young people entry into the opportunities to be productive on a global scale because of our myopic optic of the power of sport.

Through the decades, sport has continued to show the world glimpses of its ability to breakdown racial, social and religious barriers, and, through strategic deployment of its power and followership, to drive economic, political and cultural goals that can help in transforming Nigeria.

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We have said a great deal through the years but have failed to move from ‘talk’ to ‘walk’. 

Sport remains a wasting natural resource in Nigeria.

Previous political leaders have lacked the understanding to use it to drive national goals of development beyond winning athletic medals and trophies.

Intermittently between 1960 and 1980, Nigeria was actually on the right trajectory. The Olympics Games of 1980 was an unfortunate tipping point. 

Since then, sport has been getting only the short end of the stick of government’s attention.  Successive changes in government and in sports administration left the field with a deficit of human capacity and the vision to advance the cause.

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Since then, major experienced and knowledgeable stakeholders have never been in position ofpower to influence, or even implement, their visions and ideas.

Sport,therefore, needs the fuel of political power to be able to burn brightly. Sport needs political power to will facilitate and implement advancement and development of the sector.

Sport is a driver as well as major contributor to the national economy, culture, tourism, diplomacy, infrastructural development, youth engagement and empowerment, and so on.

Since I ended my career as an active sports person, I have experienced the roles that sport can play in all the above sectors. In the eternal words of late Nelson Mandela in 1995, sport has the power to change the world.

There is a glaring disconnect between sport and government in taking advantage of what sport offers Nigeria and its army of youths in every cranny passionate about sport but wasting like beautiful flowers in the desert. 

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We cannot,therefore, stay away from politics and expect that things will change. Nothing will change unless we go in there and effect the change ourselves.

It is as simple as that. That’s my motivation for daring to break away from the norm and enter the lion’s den.

You all know me and my antecedents in and out of sport.

I have always being the ‘guinea pig’ in my own various ventures in sport, using the results of my work as testimonies of their efficacy, or failure.

Either way, the important thing has always been that I did something rather than prevaricate and play ‘siddon look’.  

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So, I am venturing again into politics, a new and unfamiliar terrain. I have painfully found out, to my chagrin, that it poses an exciting new kind of challenge that,with the support of my major constituencies (sport and the media), we can,together, surmount, make a difference and possibly change our world.

I assure you I am not motivated by vaulting ambition for power.

Neither is this a quest to amass wealth.

My intention is simple – to use sport, a territory I am very familiar with and for which I am eminently qualified, to drive a national development agenda.

I choose to start ‘small’, to emulate our ‘brother’, George Opong Weah of Liberia, and plant a political seed that will germinate quickly to establish in Ogun State the foundation of a new political paradigm in Nigeria.

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My mission is that Ogun State will become the take-off point of a revolution using the power of sports and other related fields of entertainment that includes culture, music, arts, film, dance, drums, literature, hospitality, theatre and leisure, among others to initiate and undertake the fastest national development program driven by youths, in our history.

Starting from Ogun State, we can replicate the model and establish a continent-wide renaissance, an unaccomplished dream of Africa’s founding political fathers atIndependence from colonial rule around 60 years ago.

Their goal was to reclaim the dignity, respect and equality for the Black Race and Africans in the world.

In the general architecture of the world today, those goals can be attained quickly only through a cultural revolution, deploying the energy and passion for the arts, culture and sports to drive productivity and innovation, building an industry in the process that will be the fastest and most effective transformative tool in the world. 

That’s why I am attempting, even against all the odds, to become the next governor of Ogun State where I come from.

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I intend to use the State as both a laboratory and a launch pad, working with the best brains and talents across the sectors to make this dream become reality.

I shall soon have an interactive session with all members of our sports family in order to share my vision and mission in Ogun State. But until that happens, I am writing this to crave your understanding and support.

This is going o be a very daunting task, but I assure you that Sport has prepared me adequately for the challenges ahead. To me, ‘failure’ does not exist.

The will to win is the essential tonic that drives the spirit of hard work, single-mindedness, commitment, determination, never-say-die attitude, teamwork, humility, fair play, decency, honesty, integrity, discipline and dedication to the cause.

My ‘campaign’ started subtly a few days ago. 

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I am contesting for governorship of Ogun State. The party platform I am using is Zenith Labour Party. It is a new party, the last to be registered by INEC, the last party logo on the ballot paper, an empty structure waiting to soak in persons that embrace our simple motto – ThePeople, Our Priority.

I did not join any of the other major parties in order to be able to get to this point where I can even contest without carrying any existing or future burdens as result ofGodfather(s), political patrons, political funders and investors, and so on.

We are setting up new structures across the State, populated by disenfranchised people, people living with physical disabilities, civil servants, retirees, restless youths,women, and the elderly.

I humbly invite you to support me in any way, join me, or simply just watch me without shooting me down.

Your compatriot,

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 Segun Odegbami

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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Nigerian Football

Season’s first win for Akwa United and Ikorodu City

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The miserable run of Akwa United and Ikorodu City came to an end after six games in the Nigerian Premier League this season. Both teams were initially glued at the bottom of the league table.

They now got respite as Akwa United beat Kano Pillar by 2-0 while Ikorodu City even did what could be considered an upset, beating Bendel Insurance 3-0.

Remo Stars bounced back to the top of the log after a 3-0 defeat of Nasarawa United. Shooting Stars are yet to get their rhythm this season, playing a barren draw with Enyimba in Ibadan.

Kwara United who got their first full points of the season last week after a 1-0 defeat of Remo Stars could not consolidate as they were beaten 1-0 by Abia Warriors.

Heartland under Emmanuel Amuneke are gradually recovering as they got a valuable away draw against El-Kanemi Warriors.

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Nigerian Football

Behold! Nigeria Football’s October 8 Magic

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Nigeria’s Godwin Iwelumo terrorising Egypt’s goalmouth 47 years ago in an October 8 match. Nigeria won 4-0 inflicting the worst ever defeat on Egypt in a World Cup qualifier.

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

It is 75 years since Nigeria’s national football team first played an international match. That was on 8 October 1949 when the first set of Nigeria’s assembly on their return voyage stopped over in Freetown and engaged Sierra Leone in an international football match. Nigeria won 2-0, setting a chain of positive results on 8 October.

 The country never lost any competitive duel on that date. More significantly, the Super Eagles first qualified for the World Cup on an 8 October date.

 That was in 1993 when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Algeria in the quest for USA ‘94 World Cup.

 Nigeria became the first English-speaking African country to qualify for the World Cup. Another significance of the October 8 match at the July 5 Stadium, Algiers is that Nigeria were unbeaten for the first time by Algeria at home.

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 The only deviation from the 8 October Magic was in 2015 when Nigeria lost 2-0 to Congo in a friendly match.

 Twenty-six years after Nigeria’s debut international match, one of Africa’s biggest football nations, Egypt fell to the October 8 magic, losing 4-0 to Nigeria in the last stage of the triangular World Cup qualifying series for Argentina ’78.

Up till October 15, 2013, when Ghana beat Egypt 6-1 in Kumasi, the October 8, 1977 duel with Nigeria remained Egypt’s biggest loss in a World Cup qualifying match.

 Before the 1977 duel, Nigeria in 1963 played a friendly match with Liberia in Monrovia. The October 8 magic was active, even in an away match. Nigeria drew 2-2 in their very first encounter with Liberia. It was shortly after the team had,  through a protest, upturned a victory by Guinea to pick Nigeria’s very first African Nations’ Cup ticket.

Little wonder then that when FIFA suspended Nigeria in 2010, the world governing body provisionally lifted the ban on October 8!

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Nigeria on 8 October

  • 1949 – Freetown (Friendly) Sierra Leone 0-2 Nigeria
  • 1963 – Monrovia (Friendly) Liberia 2-2 Nigeria
  • 1977 – Lagos (World Cup qualifier) Nigeria 4-0 Egypt
  • 1993 – Algiers (World Cup qualifier) Algeria 1-1 Nigeria… qualify for USA ‘94.
  • 2005 – Abuja (World Cup qualifier) Nigeria 5-1 Zimbabwe
  • 2010 – FIFA, in apparent respect to the 8 October magic, provisionally lifted a ban imposed on   Nigeria.
  • 2011 – Abuja (African Nations Cup qualifier) Nigeria 2-2 Guinea. Although undefeated, Nigeria failed to make it to the 2012 African Nations Cup.  
  • 2015 – D.R. Congo beat Nigeria 2-0 in Visé, Belgium. The ‘October 8 Magic’ is finally broken.
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Nigerian Football

 Rivers flow to the top!

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Rivers United have launched themselves to the top of the log at the end of the match day 5 of the Nigeria Premier League. The Port Harcourt side beat Akwa United 2-1 to go afloat after initial leaders, Remo Stars crumbled to a 1-0 defeat at Kwara United in Ilorin on Sunday.

It was Remo Stars’ first defeat in the season. Rivers United are now with 13 points. Stephen Mayo put Rivers United ahead after  31 minutes. But it turned a temporary lead as Akwa United bounced back almost at the blast of the referee’s whistle for the second half.  

Friday Apollos levelled up for Akwa United before Ndifreke Effiong Udo scored the winner in the 85th minute.

Sunday Results

  • Kwara United 1-0 Remo Stars
  • Rangers International 1-0 Abia Warriors
  • Heartland FC 2-0 Niger Tornadoes
  •  Kano Pillars 2-0 Sunshine Stars
  • Plateau United 1-0 Ikorodu City
  •  Rivers United 2-1 Akwa United
  •  Enyimba 3-0 Katsina United* Suspended
  •  Nasarawa 0-0 Bayelsa United

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