Football Fans Boo Ex-Gov Igbinedion At Ogbe Stadium

Lucky Igbinedion

Lucky Igbinedion

Lucky Igbinedion

According to William Shakespeare, the evil that men do lives after them. That indication manifested yesterday when football fans booed former Governor of Edo State, Lucky Igbinedion and rained abusive words on him during the London 2012 Olympic Games qualifying match between Nigeria’s U-23 Eagles and Tanzania.

Igbinedion, who was among the dignitaries that watched the match, which Nigeria won 3-0, was booed immediately his presence was announced to the spectators at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, Edo state, Nigeria.

The fans were irked because during his tenure as governor of the state, the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, venue of the match, was in a deplorable state, forcing the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, to blacklist it from the stadia hosting matches of the national teams.

The fans unanimously chorused ole! Ole!! Ole!!! and called Igbinedion some unprintable names while the booing lasted.

As if that was not enough, one of the fans even jumped into the VIP area, where Igbinedion was seated with other dignitaries and rained curses on him.

As the ugly scene continued, P.M Sports sampled the opinion of the angry fans. One of them, Omosuyi Apeyi, said the former governor should be ashamed of himself, “because during the governor’s tenure, we football fans were denied the opportunity of watching our football stars live.

“And if not for our sports loving governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, who refurbished this stadium, we wouldn’t have had the privilege of seeing any of our darling teams and their players.”

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Another fan, who claimed that he travelled all the way from Delta State to watch the Olympic qualifying match between Nigeria and Tanzania, said the former governor deserves more than the booing he got from the fans.

Igeniwari Emokpor, another football supporter queried the rationale behind Igbinedion’s decision to come and watch the match at a stadium he allegedly abandoned during his era as governor of the state.

According to Emokpor; “the booing was not enough, we would have mobbed him. He should thank the security operatives and the maturity of some of us. We would have mobilised the fans to lynch him”.

Meanwhile, Nigeria moved a step closer to the London 2012 soccer event of the Olympics as they upturned a 0-1 loss to the East Africans in Dares Salam a fortnight ago, to win the second leg match 3-0, (3-1 aggregate).

Ekigo Ehiosun increased his goal tally to 5 in the qualifiers, when he opened scoring for Nigeria in the 3rd minute, while Ganiyu Oseni and VVV Venlo of Holland’s Ahmed Musa scored the second and third goals respectively to secure the last round ticket for the Eagles.

—Adebobola Alawode, Benin

 

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