8th December, 2019
The party said this in a congratulatory message to Joshua after he became a two-time world heavyweight champion following his victory over Andy Ruiz Jr in a tense rematch in Diriyah, Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.
The APC in the statement by national publicity secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu noted Joshua’s positive attitude after he lost to Ruiz in June.
“We are not surprised by Anthony Joshua’s deserved and stunning comeback victory which saw him retake the IBF, WBA, IBO and WBO titles.
“Anthony Joshua now joins a small cluster of men including Muhammad Ali, Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson and Floyd Patterson to have reclaimed the world heavyweight title.
“Anthony Joshua’s persistence and resilience represent the typical can-do spirit of Nigerians in the face of adversity. He is a man who is proud to be a Nigerian doing his best in his calling to uplift the name of his fatherland. He rose to world best in boxing with determination, exhibiting the positive audacity for which Nigerians are known worldwide
“As the ruling party, espousing on the ideals of resourcefulness, hard work, self-belief, and patriotism, we are proud to present Anthony Joshua as an emblem of a true Nigerian. We see in him, the embodiment of the national identity every true Nigerian is made of`”. .