Stakeholders Hail Buhari’s Victory

Taiwo Adelu & Sunday Akintoye

Stakeholders in Nigerian sports have continued to react to the emergence of General Muhammadu Buhari as the new President of Nigeria.

Chairman of Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Attahiru Jega, early today declared the candidate of All Progressives Party, APC, Buhari winner of Saturday’s presidential election after posting 15,424,921 votes (52.41%)to beat incumbent, President Goodluck Jonathan of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP who had 12,853,162 votes (47.59%) in the election.

Sports personalities who spoke with P.M.NEWS Sports believe that Buhari with his history of integrity and anti corruption stance would give a new lease of life to Nigerian sports and called on him to appoint a technocrat who understands sports as the next Minister of Sports and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, NSC.

Former Super Eagles’ coach and FIFA/CAF technical committee member, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde said the victory of Buhari was a good thing for the country.

Onigbinde, who took Eagles to the 2002 Korea/Japan FIFA World Cup hopes that the president-elect will have in mind a good expert that will reorganize Nigerian sports when he assumes office in 29 May this year.

“Let me first and foremost congratulate the president-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari for his victory. I strongly believe that his administration will bring good things for us. As regards  sports, I expect him to seat down with technocrats and experts that will turn our sports around; not only football,” he said.

A top official in the Local Organising Committee of MTN Lagos Street Soccer who craved anonymity said the victory of Buhari was a clear indication that there will be a change in our sports and other aspects of our lives.

He said most of the crimes committed in the country are perpetrated by youth. The official opined that with the calibre of people in the APC who he knows are more grounded in sports, Buhari’s administration will embark on schools sports and developmental programmes that will take the youths off the streets.

Enyimba Football Club on their tweeter handle @enyimbafc Tuesday’s night conveyed their congratulatory message to the new president, saying “today, we join the rest of Nigeria in congratulating the next President of our great country, @ThisIsBuhari for a historic victory.”