Several Nigeria sportsmen and women including, former Super Eagles’ captains, Kanu Nwankwo, Joseph Yobo, former African sprint queen Mary Onyali-Omagbemi, Olympic taekwondo medalist Chika Chukwumerije and others joined Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan for a Solidarity Rally in support of his second term in office.
Other dignitaries spotted at the event on Eagles’ Square include, Vice President Nnamadi Sambo, FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed, Senate President David Marks and many more.
The event started with some forms of physical exercise, such as jogging, physical stretches and light aerobics, and Nwankwo and Yobo then led other sportsmen and women, including members of the Super Falcons, to the event. Mary Onyali-Omagbemi and Chika Chukwumerije, spoke at the rally saying their support for Jonathan’s was necessitated because of his love for sports. Onyali-Omagbemi’s goodwill message titled “Sprint into victory’’, said the empowerment of Nigerian athletes by the Jonathan’s administration had brought back the lost glory of Nigerian sports.
“We don’t want you to go now because you have started a race like I did as a sprinter. I sprinted and finished my race to get the two bronze medals I won in five Olympics which I participated in.
“I never stopped halfway. If I had stopped half way, I wouldn’t have got the medals.
“So, President Jonathan, you cannot stop now. We want you to keep running and finish the race,’’ she said.
Chukwumerije also said.
“If there is a change of government now, what will happen to the All-Africa Games coming up in six months’ time and the Olympics coming up next year?
“We didn’t qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nation but we qualified for the next edition and won it.
“Because we didn’t win any medal at the London 2012 Olympics and Jonathan has urged us to go and win at Rio 2016, I am sure we will win medals.
“It will happen exactly the way it happened with the Super Eagles who won the 2013 AFCON after they failed to qualify for the previous edition.’’
Check out more photos from the event!
