Commonwealth Games
UK to get new prime minister before Commonwealth Games as scandal-ridden Boris Johnson set to quit 
When the Commonwealth Games begin later this month in Birmingham, hosts, United Kingdom will be under a new Prime Minister.
Boris Johnson is expected to announce his resignation as British prime minister this Thursday after he was abandoned by ministers and his Conservative Party’s lawmakers who said he was no longer fit to govern.
After ministers, including two secretaries of state, continued to quit the government early on Thursday, an isolated and powerless Johnson was set to bow to the inevitable and declare he was stepping down later, a source said.
His Downing Street office said Johnson would make a statement to the country later.
After days of battling for his job, Johnson had been deserted by all but a handful of allies after the latest in a series of scandals broke their willingness to support him.
“His resignation was inevitable,” Justin Tomlinson, deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, said on Twitter. “As a party we must quickly unite and focus on what matters. These are serious times on many fronts.”
The Conservatives will now have to elect a new leader, a process which could take weeks or months. It was not clear whether Johnson would or could stay on in a caretaker role while the person who would be the new prime minister was chosen.
Many said he should leave immediately and hand over to his deputy, Dominic Raab.
“As well as resigning as party leader the PM must resign his office,” Conservative parliamentary deputy Nick Gibb said. “After losing so many ministers, he has lost the trust and authority required to continue.”
The crisis comes as Britons are facing some of the tightest squeeze on finances in decades, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with soaring inflation, and the economy forecast to be the weakest among major nations in 2023 apart from Russia.
It also follows years of internal division sparked by the narrow 2016 vote to leave the European Union, and threats to the make-up of the United Kingdom itself with demands for another Scottish independence referendum, the second in a decade.
Support for Johnson had evaporated during one of the most turbulent 24 hours in recent British political history, epitomised by finance minister, Nadhim Zahawi, who was only appointed to his post on Tuesday, calling on his boss to resign.
Zahawi and other cabinet ministers had gone to Downing Street on Wednesday evening, along with a senior representative of those lawmakers not in government, to tell Johnson the game was up.
The crisis comes as Britons are facing some of the tightest squeeze on finances in decades, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with soaring inflation, and the economy forecast to be the weakest among major nations in 2023 apart from Russia.
It also follows years of internal division sparked by the narrow 2016 vote to leave the European Union, and threats to the make-up of the United Kingdom itself with demands for another Scottish independence referendum, the second in a decade.
Support for Johnson had evaporated during one of the most turbulent 24 hours in recent British political history, epitomised by finance minister, Nadhim Zahawi, who was only appointed to his post on Tuesday, calling on his boss to resign.
Zahawi and other cabinet ministers had gone to Downing Street on Wednesday evening, along with a senior representative of those lawmakers not in government, to tell Johnson the game was up.
Initially, Johnson refused to go and seemed set to dig in, sacking Michael Gove – a member of his top ministerial team who was one of the first to tell him he needed to resign – in a bid to reassert his authority.
One ally had told the Sun newspaper that party rebels would “have to dip their hands in blood” to get rid of Johnson.
But by Thursday morning as a slew of resignations poured in, it became clear his position was untenable.
“This is not sustainable and it will only get worse: for you, for the Conservative Party and most importantly of all the country,” Zahawi said on Twitter. “You must do the right thing and go now.”
Some of those that remained in post, including defence minister Ben Wallace, said they were only doing so because they had an obligation to keep the country safe.
There had been so many ministerial resignations that the government was facing paralysis with no one willing to accept the vacant posts.
“It is our duty now to make sure the people of this country have a functioning government. This is true now more than ever,” Michael Ellis, a minister in the Cabinet Office department which oversees the running of government, told parliament.
FROM POPULAR TO DESERTED
The ebullient Johnson came to power nearly three years ago, promising to deliver Brexit and rescue it from the bitter wrangling that followed the 2016 referendum.
Since then, some Conservatives had enthusiastically backed the former journalist and London mayor while others, despite reservations, supported him because he was able to appeal to parts of the electorate that usually rejected their party.
That was borne out in the December 2019 election. But his administration’s combative and often chaotic approach to governing and a series of scandals exhausted the goodwill of many of his lawmakers while opinion polls show he is no longer popular with the public at large.
The recent crisis erupted after lawmaker Chris Pincher, who held a government role involved in pastoral care, was forced to quit over accusations he groped men in a private member’s club.
Johnson had to apologise after it emerged that he was briefed that Pincher had been the subject of previous sexual misconduct complaints before he appointed him. The prime minister said he had forgotten.
This followed months of scandals and missteps, including a damning report into boozy parties at his Downing Street residence and office that broke COVID-19 lockdown rules and saw him fined by police over a gathering for his 56th birthday.
There have also been policy U-turns, an ill-fated defence of a lawmaker who broke lobbying rules, and criticism that he has not done enough to tackle inflation, with many Britons struggling to cope with rising fuel and food prices.
Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition Labour Party, said Johnson’s resignation was good news for Britain.
“But it should have happened long ago,” he said. “He was always unfit for office. He has been responsible for lies, scandal and fraud on an industrial scale.”
The Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF) has confirmed the arrival of several foreign-based Nigerian boxers ahead of the maiden edition of National Boxing Week, as preparations intensify for the 2026 Commonwealth Games qualifiers.
National Boxing Week will be held from March 1–6, 2026, at the Brai Ayonote Boxing Complex, National Stadium, Lagos, and will feature the National Open Trials to select Team Nigeria’s representatives for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
The week-long event is being staged in alignment with the merit-driven reforms championed by the National Sports Commission, with the Federation positioning the trials as a transparent and inclusive pathway to national selection.
The arrival of diaspora-based athletes, alongside their home-based counterparts, signals renewed confidence in the Federation’s commitment to fairness and global competitiveness. The National Open Trials will provide an equal platform for all eligible Nigerian boxers — regardless of where they are based- to compete for the opportunity to represent the country.
Vice President of the Federation, Omonlei Imadu, described the development as a positive turning point for the sport.
“This is a new era for Nigerian boxing. The fact that our foreign-based athletes are returning home to compete speaks volumes about the credibility of the process we are building. Selection for the Commonwealth Games will be fierce, but it will be fair and strictly based on merit,” Imadu said.
The trials will feature ten weight categories across the men’s and women’s divisions. Affiliated clubs, state associations, institutions, and eligible Nigerian boxers worldwide are expected to present one boxer per weight category, ensuring a broad-based and competitive field.
Beyond competition inside the ring, National Boxing Week will incorporate developmental and governance-focused activities. A joint seminar for referees and coaches will be held to enhance technical standards, while orientation sessions for athletes will focus on discipline, professionalism, and international best practices.
Stakeholder engagements are also scheduled as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s domestic boxing ecosystem and foster collaboration across the sport’s administrative and competitive structures.
In a landmark modernisation drive, the Federation will unveil new digital initiatives during the week, including an automated licensing system and enhanced digital governance infrastructure aimed at improving transparency, athlete management, and administrative efficiency.
The event will also celebrate the legacy of Nigerian boxing icon Hogan ‘Kid’ Bassey, whose historic achievements on the global stage brought international acclaim to Nigeria and remain a source of inspiration for emerging talents.
With competition, reform, and heritage woven into its programme, National Boxing Week is being positioned as a defining chapter in the resurgence of Nigerian boxing, a platform where history meets renewal, and merit determines who earns the right to wear the green and white at Glasgow 2026.
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Nigeria’s latest attempt to host the Commonwealth Games has collapsed—again—and this time, the defeat to Ahmedabad for the 2030 Centenary Games feels less like a surprise and more like the inevitable outcome of years of unaddressed structural weaknesses.
What many framed as a competitive two-horse race between Abuja and the Indian city was, in reality, a mismatch from the beginning. For Nigeria, the failure was a disaster long in the making.
Ahmedabad was officially ratified as host on Wednesday at the 2025 Commonwealth Sport General Assembly in Glasgow, with all 74 member nations throwing their weight behind India’s bid.
The evaluation committee had already recommended Ahmedabad ahead of Abuja last month, signaling where the wind was blowing. Five countries initially showed interest, but only two made it to the final shortlist—and Nigeria still finished a distant second.
Nigeria’s failure can be hinged on many factors. Some are enumerated thus:
Chronic Infrastructure Deficit
Nigeria once again walked into a global bidding war without the infrastructure muscle to compete. While Abuja proposed upgrades and new developments, Ahmedabad arrived with a near-complete sports ecosystem: the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave, the Narendra Modi Stadium complex, and an entire city restructuring effort already in motion.
The contrast was painful—and decisive.
A country that can boast of only one reliably functional stadium for international football cannot realistically expect to become a preferred destination for a global multi-sport event.
The contrast is striking: what the City of Rabat possesses in sports infrastructure, Nigeria as an entire nation does not have a fraction of.
The centrepiece of Nigeria’s 2030 Commonwealth Games bid, the MKO Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, was meant to serve as the iconic gateway for visitors arriving from the airport—an architectural symbol announcing Nigeria’s readiness. Instead, the first impression is one of neglect.
The stadium’s surroundings, which should greet guests with manicured lawns and vibrant greenery, are overgrown with weeds. Ironically, this same complex houses the offices of the country’s apex sports governing body.
For the Commonwealth evaluation committee, the message was impossible to miss. The very site that was supposed to showcase Nigeria’s preparedness instead offered a visual summary of the country’s infrastructural decay. It was more than enough for the inspectors to reach a logical and unavoidable conclusion.
Weak Guarantees and Uncertain Funding
Global sports bodies want certainty, not hope. India provided airtight federal and state guarantees, leaving no room for doubt about financing or execution.
Nigeria, on the other hand, offered assurances that were overshadowed by years of fluctuating sports budgets, political instability, and unclear long-term commitments. It was a red flag the Commonwealth could not ignore.
Poor Organisational Track Record
While India has consistently delivered major global events in recent years—Commonwealth Games 2010, FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017, Cricket World Cup 2023—Nigeria’s last major multi-sport outing was the All-Africa Games in 2003. Successive bids for Africa Cup of Nations for 2010, 2012, as well as joint bids with Benin Republic 2025 and 2027 all failed.
Two decades without hosting a global event speaks volumes. The world has moved on; Nigeria hasn’t.
Even then, the Local Organising Committee, styled in French acronym of Comité d’Organisation de la Jeux Africains (COJA) projected itself above the host city of Abuja. Hence, the Games are better known and remembered as “COJA Games” rather than Abuja 2003.
A Vision Gap Nigeria Could Not Bridge
Ahmedabad’s pitch was bold, future-focused, and aligned with the 2030 Centenary theme. India promised to “lay the foundation for the next 100 years of the Commonwealth Games,” with digital innovation, commercial sustainability, and long-term legacy projects.
Abuja’s bid, in comparison, lacked the grand narrative and forward-looking ambition needed to sway nations focused on legacy and relevance in a changing sports world.
Security and Logistics—The Unspoken Deal Breakers
Regardless of diplomatic language, member nations remain concerned about Nigeria’s security perception, transportation systems, and accommodation shortfalls. These issues consistently undermine Nigeria’s credibility whenever it competes for global hosting rights.
Administrative Disarray at Home
Frequent leadership changes, unclear bidding structures, and late-stage preparations have become the unfortunate signature of Nigeria’s international sports bids.
Against Ahmedabad’s unified, well-coordinated bid team backed by national and state governments, Nigeria’s internal inconsistencies stood no chance.
What Ahmedabad Offered—and Nigeria Couldn’t Match
The 2030 Commonwealth Games will feature 15 to 17 sports, expanding from the reduced 10-sport programme of Glasgow 2026. Core events like athletics, swimming, weightlifting, and table tennis are confirmed, with additional sports—T20 cricket, 3×3 basketball, beach volleyball, hockey, shooting, squash, judo, triathlon, wrestling, and more—under consideration.
India positioned the Games as a commercial and developmental catalyst for the next century. That clarity resonated.
A Country Running on Hope, Not Strategy
Nigeria’s recurring failures in global hosting bids share a common thread: wishful ambition unsupported by long-term planning. Abuja’s 2030 loss mirrors the 2014 defeat to Glasgow, yet the underlying issues remain unchanged.
Nigeria wants to host the world—but refuses to build, fund, and sustain the systems required to earn that trust.
Until the nation confronts the uncomfortable truths behind this latest defeat, future bids—whether for the Commonwealth Games, the Olympics, or any global mega-event—will continue to end the same way.
Another loss. Another introspection. Another disaster that had always been waiting to happen. If Nigeria is to eventually host the Commonwealth Games—or any global multi-sport event—it must confront the structural and credibility issues that continue to undermine each bid.
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Commonwealth Games
Nigeria Steps Up Bid to Host 2030 Commonwealth Games as Delegation Arrives London
A high-powered Nigerian delegation has arrived in London, United Kingdom, for the decisive phase of the country’s campaign to host the centenary edition of the Commonwealth Games in 2030.
The team is led by Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, and the Commission’s Director General, Bukola Olopade, who are set to present Nigeria’s final case before the Games’ decision-makers on Wednesday.
Dikko had delivered Nigeria’s preliminary pitch last month, laying the foundation for this week’s crucial engagements. If successful, the bid would make Nigeria the first African nation to host the Commonwealth Games since the event’s inception in 1930.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has repeatedly reaffirmed the Federal Government’s full backing for the bid, assuring the international sporting community that Nigeria is ready to deliver a world-class Games.
Only last week, the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, joined other senior government officials in welcoming the Commonwealth Games Bid Evaluation team during their inspection visit to Nigeria.
Further demonstrating the administration’s commitment, the President’s Special Assistant on Public Communication and Presidential Spokesperson, Sunday Dare, is part of the London delegation.
Other members of the Nigerian contingent include Bid Coordinator Mainasara Ilo; President of the Nigerian Olympic Committee, Habu Gumel; Minister of Arts and Culture, Hannatu Musawa; five-time Olympian and two-time Commonwealth Games gold medalist, Mary Onyali; and current para-badminton world number one, Eniola Bolaji.
Nigeria’s 2030 bid is anchored on themes of inclusivity, legacy, and development, with promises to stage a Games that not only reflects the Commonwealth spirit but also creates lasting opportunities for sport, culture, and youth empowerment across Africa.
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