Obafemi Martins plans youth tournament for Tinubu’s campaign

Nigerian football player Obafemi Martins of Shanghai Greenland Shenhua celebrates after scoring a goal against Hebei China Fortune in their fourth round match during the 2018 Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL) in Shanghai, China, 31 March 2018. (Photo by Xia lei / Imaginechina / Imaginechina via AFP)

Former Super Eagles striker Obafemi Martins has said he will organise a youth football tournament in support of President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign. Martins disclosed this during an interview with TVC on Thursday. He said the tournament, which he referred to as the “Renewed Hope youth tournament”, would be held in November. “There’s a tournament that I’m doing for His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu that I’m doing for his campaign, the Renewed Hope Youth tournament, and I’m doing it with geopolitical zones, which is six, and I’m adding two to three more teams with it,” Martins said. The former Inter Milan and Newcastle United forward said the initiative was also intended to create opportunities for young Nigerians. FA fines Hull City £30,000 over homophobic chant Arsenal boss Arteta ‘very surprised’ at Jesus blast over Barcelona move Federal unity colleges to resume Monday — Education ministry “I’m just happy to do it for the president with all his hard work and all that. And that is not just for the president, it’s for the Nigerians and the Nigerian youth as well; how we can help them,” he said. Martins said he was funding the tournament himself and confirmed that it would take place in November. “Yes, I’m doing it in November,” he said when asked if he would finance the tournament himself. “Renewed Hope” was originally the campaign slogan of Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima during the 2023 presidential election. The phrase has since been repeatedly used by the administration for government programmes and initiatives, while political groups backing Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid have also adopted it in their mobilisation efforts. Okiki Adeduyite Okiki is a journalist with over seven years experience covering politics, foreign news, society, entertainment and the film industry.

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