***Says ‘Beyond Football: The Match for a Better Nigeria’
By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Peter Obi, has taken his campaign for the January 16, 2027 poll to Nigerian youths in the European football field.
As the European football league, which has many Nigerians, especially youths, as fanatical supporters of various clubs, Obi decided to write to them about the future of Nigerian football.
Writing on his X handle, the former Anambra State Governor said, “Beyond Football: The Match for a Better Nigeria.”
This weekend, Europe comes alive again with football. Millions of Nigerian youths will be glued to television screens, streaming matches, debating tactics, celebrating victories, and admiring the organisation, discipline, and excellence that make European football the envy of the world.
But here is a question worth asking: Why can’t Nigerian football be just as good?
“The answer is not a lack of talent. Nigeria has produced world-class footballers who have excelled in Europe because they found systems that reward merit, invest in infrastructure, ensure security, and are governed with competence and accountability. Great football does not exist in isolation. It grows where there is good governance.
“The stadiums, academies, transport systems, healthcare, security, electricity, and institutions that support football are products of leaders who make the right choices and citizens who insist on accountability. Nigeria has the talent. What we have lacked is leadership that creates an enabling environment for that talent to flourish.
“As I have decided, in the next 150 days, to engage Nigerian youths wherever they gather—in town halls, campuses, online spaces, and even football communities—my message is simple: The future you admire in Europe can be built in Nigeria. But it starts with your vote.
“Imagine a Nigeria where our local league is competitive, our stadiums are full every weekend, our clubs attract sponsorship, our coaches receive proper training, and young footballers no longer see emigration as their only path to success.
“Nigeria will not emerge through wishful thinking. It will emerge when young Nigerians decide that elections matter as much as football matches. Every goal scored in Europe is a reminder that excellence is possible. Every well-managed league is proof that systems work when honest leadership is in place.
“The 2027 presidential election is therefore more than a political contest. It is an opportunity for Nigerian youths to choose the kind of country they want—a nation that exports talent because it is respected, not because its citizens are escaping failed governance.
“Cheer for Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, PSG, Inter, AC Milan, or any club you support. Enjoy every match. But when the final whistle blows, remember that the greatest match awaiting Nigerian youths is not in Europe. It is in Nigeria.
“It is the match for good governance. It is the match for jobs, security, education, sports development, and national renewal. And unlike football, where only twenty-two players are on the pitch, every Nigerian youth has a place in this match.
Stand up. Mobilise. Vote. Defend your vote.
“If Nigerian youths can passionately follow European football every weekend, they can also passionately build a Nigeria where our own football—and our nation—becomes a source of pride.
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“The journey towards better Nigerian football begins with the path to good governance. And the path to good governance begins with the decision of Nigerian youths to stand up and be counted in 2027.
“Every weekend, starting today, I will come to you with a reminder of January 16, 2027, and our future. We can create world-class standards right here at home.
It’s in your hands, and that new Nigeria is POSSIBLE.”
