By Ori Martins
The Cote D’Ivoire’s sporting press sensationally nicknamed the late Nigerian international, Rashidi Yekini, The Nightmare.
It was Sunday, May 2, 1993. The task at hand was the first leg, group stage of the USA ’94 World Cup qualifier between the Elephants of Cote D’Ivoire and Super Eagles of Nigeria.
Yekini was well known to Ivoriens as he once starred for local side Africa Sports where he scored goals like Messi, Mbappe and Ronaldo combined. Thus, the Ivorien sporting press accordingly coined the name The Nightmare for Yekini. On that particular Sunday in Abidjan, the sports journalists highlighted that “The Nightmare” is coming.
And Yekini really came. He did not disappoint. Within the first 10 minutes, he proved to be an unstoppable and indisputable nightmare. He got the curtain raiser and put Nigeria into the lead. Although the Super Eagles eventually lost the encounter, 2 – 1, Nigeria still qualified ahead of Cote D’Ivoire for the Mundial.
As the Nightmare he was, Yekini, during the reversed fixture decided at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, was superb and excellent as he powered home two beautiful goals against the Elephants, one of them an incredible diagonal pull from right angle of the pitch (Eagles’ side) that sailed unaided into the net, to the bewilderment of all in the stadium.
As a matter of fact, Yekini’s goals qualified Nigeria for both the Tunisia ’94 Nations Cup Finals as well as the USA ’94 World Cup Finals. In Tunisia, Yekini’s goals ensured the elimination of Cote D’Ivoire in the semi final encounter and the Eagles lifted the African Nations Cup for the second time, with Yekini, The Nightmare, emerging the highest goal scorer.
And, in USA ’94, Yekini acrobatically scored Nigeria’s first ever World Cup goal. It was absolutely rewarding for the striker who had become the Nightmare of virtually all African countries who played against Eagles, scoring an all time record 37 international goals in 60 appearances.
There are striking similarities between Yekini and His Excellency, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha, the immediate past governor of Imo State. Like Yekini, Ihedioha is a nightmare to many politicians in Imo State. He is a nightmare to politicians who have been grand failures in the state, either as governors or national lawmakers.
Many have yet to comprehend what is Ihedioha’s real secret. Over the years, Ihedioha has proved his competence, character capacity both as a legislator and executive public officer. To this end, his traducers who are afraid of his track records want to pull him down at all costs. They use military and other security forces to confront him during even house of assembly elections.
Ihedioha is a nightmare to those who do not want to advance Imo State’s democratic growth. Thus, these anti democratic forces haul all manner of allegations against him just to pull him down for them to find their way. This is why Ihedioha was recently labeled a terrorist, arsonist and murderer by Governor Hope Uzodimma shortly before the March 18, 2023 house of assembly elections. Ihedioha terrified them with beautiful performance and so they labeled him a terrorist!!!
As a nightmare to his challengers, he was victorious in the Imo State PDP governorship primary election staged on December 8, 2014, at the Grasshoppers International Handball Pitch, Owerri. That election had the almighty Senator Ifeanyi Araraume and the ever flamboyant former governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, as challengers.
In the governorship election that followed the following year, Ihedioha, like Yekini, was a nightmare to the then incumbent governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha. It is on record that, for the first time in the history of both Imo State and Nigeria, a governorship election was decided by what INEC called “a supplementary election”. Though Ihedioha lost, Okorocha knew he had a devastating nightmare.
Four years later, Ihedioha, like Yekini, worked on his lapses of the last governorship election, to improve himself. Like Yekini also, he worked assiduously and ultimately bounced back to reckoning, stronger, bigger and better. Like Yekini, Ihedioha’s political trajectory was stuffed with firsts to wit: first Owerri Zone to be elected executive governor in 21 years in 2019., first South East to be deputy speaker since 1999., first speaker of Igbo extraction (after Aminu Tambuwal was elected governor) since 1992/93. And first to be elected unanimously by all members of the Federal House of Representatives in 2011.
During his seven month reign of governor, Ihedioha restored confidence in governance through his purposeful and people oriented programmes.
Ihedioha’s political journey in Imo State, particularly, his forays at the governorship seat, can be likened to Muhammadu Ali’s three brutal bouts against Joe Frazier.
Just as the first Ali – Frazier battle on March 8, 1971, has been documented as the biggest event in the history of boxing as no other fight has ever transcended boxing as the bout did, so also did Ihedioha’s first governorship primary election on December 8, 2014 being described as the greatest political party primary election ever decided in the annals of governorship election in the state. It was keen, close and, if you like, politically brutal. The election that followed thereafter, like the Ali – Frazier 1 was too close to call. Ali lost his first war against Frazier by the whisker so also did Ihedioha go down to Okorocha by an hair’s breath.
In the Ali – Frazier 11, Ali won just as Ihedioha equally triumphed in his second attempt at Imo governorship election whereupon he defeated Okorocha who wanted to install his son – in – law, Ugwumba Uche Nwosu, as governor. All of Imo State most powerful politicians – Araraume and Ohakim – were on the ballot for that historic and symbolic election.
Ihedioha and Imo people anxiously await November 11, 2023 in what promises to be a play back of the third round in the gruelling Ali – Frazier battles. You see, Ali lost in the first bout and won in the second and third battles. Ihedioha lost in his first attempt, won in the second, he will still win in the third because he has been a nightmare to Imo politicians of anti people order. Mind you, Ali was stripped of his title after he refused to go to the Veitna war. Ihedioha was ruthlessly stripped of his governorship title for doing good to Imo people. Like Ali, he will regain his title this November 11.
Those who know Ihedioha and who have associated with him closely can attest that he is the most progressive, democratic and developmental minded politician Imo State has ever produced since since the days of Dee Sam Mbakwe.
As the 1940s to 1960s were dominated by Zik of Africa and Nigeria’s greatest political evangelist, so also, this present 2015 to 2023 and beyond are to be championed and denominated by Ihedioha.
Moreover as Ali was the hope and rallying point of Black Americans in the 1960s, so also is Ihedioha the shinning light, hope and rallying point of the emasculated, poverty ridden and insecurity threatened people of Imo State who are urgently in need of liberation, sucour and survival.
Happy birthday His Excellency, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha, CON, Omenkeahurunanya!!!
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