₦airaland Forum

Why Ronaldo's Legacy is at Risk in the 2026 World Cup

By Soibi Versatile

As the final chapter of his career approaches, Cristiano Ronaldo prepares to step onto the World Cup stage one last time, carrying with him more than two decades of service to Portugal. He has been the nation’s leader through every high and low, winning major trophies and setting records that may stand for a very long time.

Yet even with all he has achieved, there remains one part of his story that feels unfinished. The World Cup, the tournament that defines football history more than any other, has never reflected the same brilliance he has shown at club level and in European competition.

Greatness in football is often measured by moments, and the World Cup is full of them. It is where players become legends not just through consistency, but through performances that change games and shift the fate of nations. For Ronaldo, those defining World Cup moments have been rare.

While his dedication and longevity are unmatched, his impact in the tournament has not matched the standards set by other icons of the game. When compared with players who dominated the World Cup stage, his record there stands apart from the rest of his career.

The situation becomes more striking when considering Portugal’s own history. Eusebio remains Portugal’s all time top scorer at the World Cup with 9 goals, despite playing in far fewer matches and only one tournament. That fact alone shows how much weight this competition carries in the minds of fans.

On the global stage, the benchmark is even higher. Messi and Miroslav Klose share the record as the all time top scorers in FIFA World Cup history with 16 goals each. Their names are tied to iconic World Cup campaigns and goals that decided matches.

Among the current generation, Kylian Mbappe has already made a huge mark. At a young age he has scored 14 goals for France at the World Cup, making him France’s all time top scorer in the tournament. He achieved that in only his second and third World Cups.

In the last World Cup, Ronaldo managed only one goal, and it came from the penalty spot. It was not the kind of performance that matched the expectations placed on him. Now, with the 2026 tournament underway and his first match passing without a goal, the concern grows that his final appearance may end without the impact everyone expected.

The World Cup is different from any other competition. League titles, Champions League glory, and individual awards are respected across the world, but the World Cup remains the ultimate test for any player who wants to be called great.

It is the stage where careers are judged by the whole world, not just by fans of one club or one country. Every four years, it creates heroes and defines how players are remembered long after they retire.

For a player of Ronaldo’s stature, surrounded by a talented generation of Portuguese stars, the expectation is not just to play. The expectation is to lead Portugal deep into the tournament and leave a lasting mark that matches his influence on the game.

Ronaldo deserves a farewell that matches his contribution to football. He has given everything to the sport and inspired millions of people around the world. But if this World Cup passes without a memorable performance or a deep run from Portugal, his legacy will carry a gap that no other achievement can fill.

In football history, the World Cup is the final measure. Without it, even the most decorated career can feel incomplete, remembered as brilliant but missing its greatest scene.


Soibi Versatile is the Chief Writer of Daily Memoirs Media.

Jesus Community Network
Scriptural Guide | Daily Meditation
Wednesday, 17th June 2026

Theme: Trusting God Wholly

"O my God, in You I have placed my unwavering trust; I rely on You with steadfast confidence. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my hope in You be disappointed."
Psalm 25:2 AMP

Julian Fernando received devastating news from his physicians: a malignant tumor was developing within his brain, and they estimated he had only a few months left. Faced with a prognosis that would shake the sturdiest of hearts, Julian chose a different posture. Instead of surrendering to fear, he anchored his spirit in God. Each morning he would rise, pray with deliberate devotion, and speak declarations of God’s faithfulness over his life. Even as weakness threatened his body, his trust remained unbroken as he moved through each day with quiet courage.

When seasons are gentle and every need is met, it is simple to profess trust in God. We speak boldly of faith when skies are clear. Yet trusting God wholly is revealed in the storm. It means that even when medical reports sound final, when doors remain shut, or when circumstances appear inexplicable, we still rest in the knowledge that God’s fidelity does not waver. Life will inevitably present us with perplexing trials designed to test the depth of our conviction. For the believer, however, our hope is not tethered to outcomes; our anchor is fixed firmly in the unchanging character of God.

Today’s scripture calls us to a profound, childlike dependence on the Almighty. It reminds us that He possesses both the power and the willingness to rescue us from distress. We lean not on our own understanding, but on His grace to carry us through seasons of uncertainty. We invoke His name not as a ritual, but as a lifeline. And we do so with assurance, because Scripture promises that those who place their confidence in Him will not be disgraced. His faithfulness will not allow shame to have the final word.

As we journey through the complexities of life, cultivating complete confidence in God becomes essential. The same trust we express in seasons of abundance must become the posture we maintain in seasons of adversity. God delights in the trust of His children. It honors Him, and it positions us to witness His deliverance. No challenge is beyond His reach, no diagnosis beyond His healing, no situation too tangled for His wisdom to unravel.

Key Point: Trusting God wholly requires steadfastness of heart and unwavering confidence in His power to deliver us from every form of challenge, seen and unseen.

Prayer
Lord, today I yield my fears and uncertainties to You. I trust You without reservation and rely on You wholly to deliver me from every challenge that confronts me. Lead me onto the path of victory that You have prepared, and let my life be a testimony of Your faithfulness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Soibi Versatile,
Founder, Jesus Community Network

Messi and Argentina Out to Win the World Cup Again

By Soibi Versatile

Lionel Messi has fired the first warning shot of the tournament. Argentina opened their World Cup campaign in ruthless fashion, cruising to a 3-0 victory over Algeria in their group stage opener. The captain was on song from the first whistle, completing a hat-trick and etching his name deeper into the history books with a new World Cup scoring record.

From the moment he stepped onto the pitch, Messi dictated the tempo. His first goal came early, a trademark left-footed curl that left the Algerian goalkeeper rooted. It set the tone for what would be a commanding performance from the Albiceleste.

The second was pure instinct, a sharp finish after a slick exchange with Julián Álvarez. Messi read the play two steps ahead, arriving in the box with the timing that has defined his career.

He completed his hat-trick late in the match with another clinical finish. It was the kind of goal that reminded everyone why he remains the defining player of his generation, calm under pressure and lethal in front of goal.

That hat-trick means Messi now has 16 World Cup goals, drawing level with German legend Miroslav Klose. Klose reached that mark across four World Cups, while Messi has matched him in his sixth world cup appearance and with a performance that suggests he is not done yet.

It was not just Messi who impressed. Argentina looked cohesive, confident, and hungry throughout the ninety minutes. The midfield controlled possession, the defense held firm, and the attack moved with purpose and precision. Algeria had brief moments of threat, but they were suffocated by Argentina’s press and organization.

Head coach Lionel Scaloni will be pleased with the performance. This was the statement win Argentina needed, one that eases pressure and sets the tone for the challenges ahead. After the drama of their previous triumph, the Albiceleste appear ready to embrace the weight of expectation that follows them.

One match in, and the message from La Scaloneta is clear. They are here to defend their crown. Messi, playing what he has described as his final dance on the World Cup stage, is performing like a man determined to finish the story on his own terms. If this is the level Argentina begin at, then the rest of the world has a problem.


Soibi Versatile is the Chief Writer of Daily Memoirs Media.

How Obi Lied about California State University

By Soibi Versatile

Presidential Candidate of NDC Peter Obi is at it again with his usual fact twisting narrative. Obi has in the past made false claims about several situations and now his comments about a U.S. university visit are another example of him reshaping reality for applause.

In a public speech, Peter Obi claimed he visited “USC” and saw a university where the entire faculty, including the dean and registrar, were former convicts. He added the dramatic detail that the dean had spent “28 years in jail.” He presented this as proof that institutions run by ex-prisoners can work.

The truth is Obi never set foot at the University of Southern California. The school he actually visited was California State University, Sacramento, also called Sac State. There is clear video and media coverage showing him at Sac State, not USC.

At Sac State, Obi praised the Project Rebound program. Project Rebound is a real initiative that helps formerly incarcerated _students_ return to school and earn degrees. It is about student reentry, not faculty hiring.

Obi took that student program and twisted it. He changed “students” into “faculty” and claimed the whole teaching staff were ex-convicts. He also invented a dean with a 28-year prison term. No such dean exists at USC or at Sac State in any public record.

USC’s faculty directory, leadership history, and news archives show no department where “everyone is an ex-convict.” There is no dean at USC who served 28 years in prison. The claim collapses under basic fact-checking.

By mixing up the school name and exaggerating the details, Obi turned a commendable student support program into a false story about an entire faculty of ex-prisoners. That is not misremembering. That is fabrication.

California State University, Sacramento deserves credit for Project Rebound because it genuinely helps students rebuild their lives. But Obi’s version is a lie. He lied about the university name, lied about who the program serves, and lied about the credentials of the dean. The record shows exactly how Obi twisted the facts about California State University.


Why it is good to make references to situations to draw home your points. It is also important to state things as they are and not give a new narrative just to score cheap political points. Obi has had a penchant for telling narratives that are inaccurate and this is one of his myths that has been bursted and trashed.



Soibi Versatile is the Chief Writer of Daily Memoirs Media.

Why Portugal Should Be Wary of DR Congo in World Cup Opener

By Soibi Versatile

The World Cup has begun and already we’ve seen a few notable surprise results. That’s why Portugal cannot afford to take their opening match against DR Congo lightly. On paper, the Seleção look like clear favorites with stars like Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, and João Neves pulling the strings in midfield. But football at this stage is rarely decided on paper.

DR Congo are first-timers at the World Cup, and history tells us that’s exactly when danger shows up. We’ve seen first-timers pull off surprise punches in World Cup openers before — teams with nothing to lose, playing with zero fear and 100% belief. DR Congo are walking into the tournament with that same energy. They are not in the USA for vacation. They came to prove a point.

What makes them dangerous is their profile. They are a very defensively tough team. They play a high level of physical football that can break the rhythm of more technical sides. Portugal love to build through the middle and play quick combinations, but DR Congo’s coordination off the ball and willingness to scrap for every second ball will test that approach. They defended deep and organized during the qualifiers, frustrated teams, and hit hard on transitions.

And their confidence is real. DR Congo beat many notable teams from Africa and beyond during the qualifiers. Those wins were not flukes. They showed they can match intensity, stay compact, and punish mistakes. That’s exactly the kind of blueprint that has troubled big nations in opening games.

Portugal’s biggest threat, Cristiano Ronaldo, knows he won’t get space. Expect DR Congo to man mark him tightly from the first whistle. They will do everything possible to cut supply lines, double up on him in the box, and make life uncomfortable. If Portugal don’t find quick solutions out wide and through Vitinha and João Neves’ movement, that defensive wall could hold.

The temptation for Portugal will be to assume talent wins it alone. But World Cup openers are about patience, discipline, and respect for the opponent. DR Congo have the physicality to disrupt, the defensive structure to absorb, and the motivation of debutants who want to announce themselves.

If Portugal play with arrogance, DR Congo will make them pay. If they play with respect, move the ball quickly, and stay switched on defensively, their quality should tell. But “should” is a dangerous word at the World Cup.

The opener is not just about 3 points. It’s about setting the tone. And DR Congo are coming to make sure Portugal’s tone is one of caution, not celebration.

Soibi Versatile is Daily Memoirs Media Chief Writer

Tinubu is a Victim not the perpetuator of Nigeria's woes

By Soibi Versatile

Before the storm, there was a calm that was never real. For years Nigeria floated on borrowed air, a nation dining at a table set with loans while the bill was hidden under the plate. The music played, the lights stayed on, and the pump price stayed low. But a house built on deferred truth cannot stand when the wind finally blows. That wind came with subsidy removal, and the walls we thought were strong began to show their cracks.

This moment was never going to be easy for any leader. The decision to end subsidy is the kind that breaks governments because it touches every home, every bus fare, every pot of soup. Whoever won the 2023 election would have stood at the same crossroads, facing the same anger and the same tough questions. The pain we feel now is not the signature of one man. It is the receipt for a choice that was postponed for too long.

Under past administrations, the country learned to live on an illusion. Fuel sold below cost, deficits papered over with debt, and the future mortgaged to keep today comfortable. It looked like stability, but it was a stability rented from tomorrow. When you spend years consuming what you do not produce and borrowing what you cannot repay, reality eventually demands its refund. Nigeria has reached that point.

The removal of subsidy has lightened a weight that was crushing public finance. Money that disappeared into an opaque system can now, in principle, be turned toward roads, schools, hospitals, and security. The immediate effect is discomfort because prices adjust quickly while benefits arrive slowly. Yet the logic is simple: an economy cannot survive when it spends more servicing debt than it invests in its people. Stopping the leak is the first step toward healing.

It is important to see that the current hardship is tied more to the policy shift than to any single personality in power. The major candidates in 2023 all agreed that subsidy was unsustainable. They disagreed on timing and cushioning, but not on the destination. Had the outcome been different at the polls, the country would still be walking this same narrow bridge between a broken past and a possible future. The crossroads belonged to Nigeria, not just to one president.

What we are witnessing is an inheritance, not an invention. Years of avoided reforms, unchecked leakages, and rising debt service left the next government with little room to maneuver. Ending subsidy on day one was less about politics and more about triage. A patient bleeding from an open wound cannot wait for perfect conditions before the bleeding stops. Normalcy, in this case, means an economy that prices things honestly and plans beyond the next election cycle.

There is a deeper truth hiding beneath the hardship. A nation that commits almost all its oil earnings to debt service has already surrendered its freedom. When revenue goes straight to creditors, there is nothing left to build, protect, or grow. The foundation for today’s crisis was laid when tough choices were traded for temporary relief. The structure was bound to fail; the only question was when the collapse would arrive.

The adjustment has also opened space for tension. Higher costs of transport and food press hard on families, and pressure creates noise. In that noise, political actors and vested interests find room to amplify despair and frame the pain as failure. The result is a louder, angrier public square where the goal sometimes shifts from fixing the country to capturing it. That dynamic makes reform harder, but it does not erase the need for it.

Nigeria is therefore not struggling because one leader woke up and decided to break things. It is struggling because the bill for years of comfort without production has finally landed. President Tinubu now in office is the one who chose not to pass it forward again. Painful as it is, the path now leads toward an economy that must earn, save, and invest instead of borrow, subsidize, and defer. That is a harder road, but it is the only one that leads out of the cycle.

In the end, this is a story about time catching up with choices. The calm before was borrowed; the storm now is the cost of becoming real. No leader could have avoided the reckoning, only delayed it. What defines this era is not that Nigeria is hurting, but that for the first time in a long while, the country is facing the truth it postponed. And from truth, if we hold steady, a different kind of future can begin to rise.


Nigeria may not be in the best of conditions at the moment under President Tinubu but it is currently facing the realties from the choices it took over the years cutting corners. While the hardship may persist for a little longer it is a way out of the dark tunnel from years of living in denial and a life built on borrowed resources.

President Tinubu needs time and changing him as President would not reverse the situation the nation faces. Whoever became President in 2023 with the removal of subsidy will have grappled with the reality of Nigeria's economic mess which is a compilation of bad choices over the years and whether they chose to believe it or not. Subsidy removal is a necessary evil for a better Nigeria and whatever pains Nigerians face at the moment is needed for normalcy to return in our economy.

President Tinubu did not invent the mess the nation is facing economically and otherwise. He is positioning the nation to put off the flames of the inferno that has long been consuming the nation's progress. He is a victim of the very problem he is accused of causing not the perpetuator of it. He inherited the mess created by past presidents who lacked the balls to do the needful when the consequences were lesser and he has not turned to blame games as other presidents would have done. Rather he has accepted the responsibility to turn the situation around for good.


Soibi Versatile is the Chief Writer of Daily Memoirs Media.

Why Atiku May Lose the 2027 Election
If He Picks Amaechi as Running Mate


By Soibi Versatile

Atiku Abubakar enters the 2027 race with strong national name recognition, political experience, and the structure of the ADC behind him. On paper, he has the credentials of a frontrunner. But his choice of running mate will determine whether that experience translates into votes. If he picks Rotimi Amaechi after Amaechi finished second in the primaries, Atiku may be walking into a strategic trap that could cost him the election.

Amaechi is a skilled politician who governed Rivers State with clear vision and strong results. He drove major changes across the state and is widely regarded as the best Governor Rivers has ever had. His scholarship program through RSSDA gave thousands of Rivers students access to quality education abroad, and his construction of 174 modern primary schools set a standard that has not been matched since. By the measure of performance, his record is impressive.

The problem is not performance. It is perception and regional trust. Amaechi’s decision to join the APC and work against his fellow Southerner, Goodluck Jonathan, in 2015 earned him deep opposition in the Niger Delta. In that region, politics is tied closely to loyalty and identity. Many voters saw his move as betrayal of a son of the soil at the exact moment the South-South had direct access to power at the center. That memory has not faded. It still shapes how Rivers, Bayelsa, and Delta respond to him today.

Because of that history, Amaechi struggles with acceptability in his own base. Elections are won at the grassroots, and once a politician is tagged as someone who turned against his region, rebuilding trust becomes difficult. Even his development record in Rivers cannot easily overcome that narrative at the ballot box.

The same issue extends to coalition building. Political loyalty matters in national elections, and Amaechi’s break with Jonathan is remembered as political betrayal. For power blocs that value long-term allegiance, that history raises doubts about reliability. If he could stand against a president from his own region, allies wonder if he would do the same to them later.

Now bring that baggage to Atiku’s 2027 ticket. With Amaechi as running mate, Atiku is likely to lose the bloc Southern votes from key states like Rivers, Bayelsa, and Delta. The Niger Delta has not forgiven 2015, and voters there are unlikely to mobilize for a ticket that includes Amaechi. At the same time, Peter Obi is expected to sweep the South East states. That leaves Atiku squeezed between a hostile South-South and a locked South-East.

Major elections in Nigeria are won through broad regional coalitions. A presidential candidate must be strong at home and trusted enough to attract support elsewhere. Atiku has the national structure, but Amaechi brings a trust deficit that cuts directly into Atiku’s Southern numbers. Without those votes, and with the South East already leaning toward Obi, the electoral math becomes very difficult for Atiku.

Also both Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi are antagonist of the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike who is a major force in the southern region. Atiku's fallout with Wike after the 2022 PDP primaries led to the formation of the G5 Governors who worked for the emergence of President Tinubu despite being PDP members. On Amaechi's side he is an arch rival to Nyesom Wike after the duo worked together as Governor and Chief of Staff with both trading insults at each other after Wike became a minister in 2011 under Goodluck Jonathan.

In the end, elections are shaped by the stories voters believe. Amaechi’s story in Rivers is about schools, infrastructure, and bold leadership. His story at the national level is still tied to 2015 and the fallout with Jonathan. If Atiku ties his 2027 ambition to that second story, he risks losing the South and, with it, the election.


Soibi Versatile is Daily Memoirs Media Chief Writer

The biggest loosers are the ipob who want war in Rivers State to spite Tinubu and Wike's image. The biggest loosers are the Obedients who are always on the loosing side. The biggest loosers are those who for once never liked Fubara but want him to do their bidding of war in the state.

Fubara signing the agreement is the best thing since fried rice and chicken

Tonye Adoki, one of the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has refuted report that he has returned to his former party.

The 26 pro Wike lawmakers have defied Governor Fubara and are holding their sittings now. Interesting to see that Fubara is being defied

Nyesom Wike won his battles against his Political enemies. From Amaechi to Ayu and now his fight with Fubara

Contrary to claims Wike was a betrayer to Amaechi. The FCT Minister played a part in making his friend Rotimi Amaechi Governor before working against him in Rivers Politics

Like I have previously stated. Even the Nigerians complaining about bad govt don't really care about good governance, what they really care about is that the person they support is in charge.
Just listen to all these NL wailing wailers. How can you support 5 members against 27? Just imagine if 5 members tried to impeach this Governor, these same people will be crying how illegal that it. They will be crying that this is the end of democracy.
But just because they don't like Wikez they are are willing to support a Governor setting the assembly on fire, they are ok with 5 members controlling the assembly and against a clear majority of 27. They are even ok with a Governor demolishing the house of assembly just to prevent the 27 members from doing what they are legally allowed to do under the law.
Now you can see that even the wailing wailers don't care about what is right or what is wrong, as long as the side they support is winning according to them.
If and when Wike and his own gang start to fo their own illegalities, then social media will be filled with cries of democracy is dead blah blah blah. HYPOCRITES

That's a temporary injunction

Ofunaofu:
INEC will be mandated to conduct elections into those 27 lga's in 90 days

Those 27 former lawmakers have since moved to Wike's kitchen where they are being served okro and fresh fish soup

No seat will be declared vacant
Have we not seen senators defect and ouse of reps. Nobody's seat will be declared vacant. U think if it will be declared vacant they will have left. Use ur cappa

Validated:
Stop foaming in your mouth. The Assembly has been moved to government house and all those that decamped have their seats declared VACANT.
Remember, Rivers no bi Lagos.

Moved by four members against 27

Fubara will be pulmeled out of office by Wike as he has no sufficient structure to contend with the FCT Minister he only has sympathizers. Fubara doesn't know the disadvantages of being in crisis in your first six months or years in office. He will be too distracted to govern. Demolishing the assembly complex will be an own goal meaning when the new injunction comes recognising the faction of Wike's boys he will now see the reality of his government. Mind you those supporting Obi support Fubara because Wike dealth with them

The recent happenings in Rivers State has made me realize people only cry over injustice when it doesn't favour them. Fubara rode on the back of God fatherism to get to where he is today. He of all people should be the last to cry over Wike's influences on his decisions. When Wike shunned elite politicians to make a civil servant Fubara the Gubernatorial candidate Wike wasn't wicked and a dictator. When Wike used his influences to get Fubara multiple promotions to become Accountant General Wike wasn't a devil. Fubara knew what he was getting into with Wike. He should comply with whatever agreement he has and not play the victim in a situation where he is clearly the beneficiary of Wike's antics.


Trying to play on the emotions of gullible Rivers People in the name of fighting for the state should not be our problem. When He was benefiting from Wike's influence he should have known. Whoever pays the Piper dictates the tone. Fubara Should either step aside or comply with the Godfather who made him everything he is today single handedly.

Why Ancelotti has produced 4 Balon dor Winners

By Soibi Versatile


Real Madrid's main man Karim Benzema was all smiles yesterday as he picked up his balon dor award handed out by French journalists. The balon dor ceremony yesterday was the 66th edition and football fans all over the world were singing praises for him as his achievement brought him into an elite group of great footballers.

Since the dominance of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi the only two to win the prestigious award have come from Real Madrid with Ronaldo's former teammates Luka Modric and Karim Benzema the benefactors. Benzema scored 50 times last season as he won the Golden Boot in the Champions league and the Golden Boot in La Liga as well as both competitions putting himself in a position to win the award.


Who Was Responsible for Benzema's Feat


Carlo Ancelotti has had 3 other winners of the balon dor under his management since 2004 when Andiry Shevchenko scooped. Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo were both winners during his time and this has not happened on the basis of coincidence.

Ancelotti has a way of getting the best out of his main players with Kaka also winning the Champions league top scorer in 2007 when he won the award. It is a norm among great coaches to play a system that enables their best player thrive and this has been Ancelotti's biggest quality.
Zinidine Zidane and Sir Alex Ferguson also reached back to back finals in the Champions league by building a system to allow Cristiano Ronaldo thrive and this led to a general team success. As a football Manager it is wisest to trust your most experienced and talented individuals. Teams who have a talisman are more likely to achieve a spectacular feat in the bid to win big titles if their main talent or experienced forward is placed in a position to score a lot of goals.


In the year Manchester United won three trophies under Jose Mourinho Zlatan Ibrahimovic was very crucial to their success as Jose Mourinho built a system that allowed Zlatan to play his best game.

Lionel Messi under Pep Guardiola had his best outings because he was played under a system that maximized his potential and gave him a comfortable approach on the pitch.

The Netherland team that had Johann Cruff were able to do wonders because of the reliance on a system that enabled their talisman thrive.

What Can Erik Ten Hag learn from this?


Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo has had his worst run in front of goal under any manager. This has been attributed to age or missing the or preasason but with the passage of time it is becoming clear that Manchester United's boss Erik Ten Hag has no efficient system that would enable Cristiano Ronaldo thrive. The passing and creative system that Erling Haaland enjoys is down to the understanding of the manager and the players around him that Haaland can be their wild card. Sir Alex Ferguson had signed Robin Van Persie in his final season in charge inorder to win the league. Van Persie a rilval star did not find it funny in his first game as players were not passing the ball to him until the boss had to put measures in place. United won the league and RVP was top scorer. If Erik Ten Hag would win a trophy this year he has to place Ronaldo in a priority position as the likes of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashord cannot be relied upon. None of each has come close to winning a golden Boot in their careers.


While the football world may praise Karim Benzema for his football feat yesterday. It was his boss Carlo Ancelotti that deserved praise more for finding a system to enable his best player produce magical moments in the Champions league. Benzema simply benefitted from Ancelotti's mastery. Benzema is France Football Player of the year and Carlo Ancelotti knows why.


© Soibi Versatile is Daily Memoirs Chief Writer

Peter Obi A Red flag for Nigeria

© Soibi Versatile

Whenever I see those who clamour for Peter Obi with the hope that he will transform Nigeria I find it absurd. First in what way does he appear more qualified? The signs that build up to the emergence of a leader tells a lot about how his government will be. Look at President Buhari as an example who got into power by propaganda and false promises. His tenure has been riddled with controversies related to propaganda and promises not kept.

Peter Obi and his supporters have tried to shut down anyone who gives contrary view to his victory forgetting that this is an election not a private project where you decide for yourself what you want. I often tell people election is a game of numbers and conviction. A large number of Obidients have a closed mind. Election is not a threat game of this and that, not when you are in a minority and your candidate has no grass root in other regions and structure.

Structure matters a lot. The reason Bola Tinubu won the primaries in APC is because over the years he had been building. You saw the kind of landside victory he had, it was not a one day thing. It was years of making friends and playing key roles.

No President without a foothold over the national assembly can have control over policies and move a nation forward because he will not be ruling Nigeria by executive orders. Democracy stops being democracy when such is the practice. The process that has produced Peter Obi is not well baked. For an Igbo man to rule Nigeria the whole nation has to come together. Otherwise ask your top politicians in the east why they did not win the primaries. The likes of Orji Uzo Kalu, Hope Uzodinma, Ihedioha and Umahi know this being experienced and seasoned politicians.

Keep sentiment aside Peter Obi is a growing force but not a ready force to take over the nation. I don’t hate him but just like I said he will play a role in the next election because either way he may be the one who will help Bola Tinubu clinch the Presidency by putting Atiku at disadvantage.

Everyone cannot be President at the same time. The opposition have to come together to say this is who we want . A divided opposition stand a lesser chance to win. In 2019 Atiku had Obi as his Vice yet they lost so what arrogance are you banking on. Election is not won by personal determination. There has to be a conviction. You cannot win by threatening others in a situation where votes count not personal effort. Everyone has his home ground. Your threats can only work in your eastern States because if you go to the North and do anyhow, you will see anyhow.

The whole graphical game of showing fake crowds from Brazil as supporters of Obi or using glitch devices to produce multiple likes and follows on a post for Peter Obi has its limit. If Buhari did it and won it was because he comes from a region with 19 states and is the most popular Northerner. Obi is not even the highest eastern politician.

The unity of Nigeria stands a risk with Peter Obi because he is a tribal politician. Who are his Northern friends? The whole clamour is not for the progress of Nigeria but a tribal card by people of the east after a failed attempt to get a referendum through a Biafran agitation. It is not true that Obi is the best candidate. In what way ? What qualification?

I have been with the Igbos four times in my career and I can tell you the Igbo man is a tribalist. When I see people from the Niger Delta support Peter Obi I wonder if they have a knowledge of the political history of the nation and how these same people massacred their ancestors during the civil war. If by chance Obi gets there you actually believe he will create a fair Nigeria for everyone than Atiku? You think the Igbo man would see you as his brother when it is time for position? You obviously need a brain check. The Igbo man is not naturally fair. He doesn’t have equity in him and his Integrity in terms of money and power cannot be relied upon. When I hear them say those who don’t want Peter Obi love corruption. It makes me even laugh harder because most of them talking are selling fake items, imitations or doing one illicit business. So what love for integrity are they talking about? Does the typical Nigerian complain about corruption except when he is not benefitting. It is a false ideology to me.

Peter Obi reminds me of late General Aguiyi Ironsi in that they are both men, do the hear no evil and see no evil. Ironsi saw the brutality with which his folks took over power in the first coup in 1966 killing all the high ranking Northerners but chose to keep mute and a blind eye putting the nation at war by that bias decision. There was no way the North would have clapped over such a massacre or left it unavenged. Ironsi left his folks Late Kaduna Nzeogwu and co, alive without a meaningful penalty and caused the war that broke out by his hear no evil, see no evil. I have had to ask myself why has an Igbo man not ruled the nation since then and I realised there is a reason. They are the biggest threat to the unity of the nation. Nigeria needs a President who will restructure it and one who will unite the nation not one backed by holigans and people with a closed mind who talk about fairness when they cannot live it. Whoever wins this election will not be a Messiah no matter how good he is, he can be a John the Baptist to lay the ground firm for progress. At a time the opposition could come together they are busy attacking themselves and giving APC a high chance of victory because everyone wants to be President.

Since most of them want to think accross ethnic lines they must know like in football everyone has his own home ground. The North have theirs, the east has theirs and in the end election is a game of numbers, politics and democracy is a game of numbers. How does a President without party members in the Senate and National Assembly pass bills? Did Goodluck Jonathan who was a Southern President with more acceptance from the North and a PDP President find it easy?

A large part of the Niger Delta have PDP as their roots. They feed from PDP. Have their associates from PDP so would they turn against their party for someone who is not better than their party candidate? I fear that Tinubu may end up with the advantage because of Obi.

If Obi wants to be President he should do a real campaign. Not rely on threat game by his supporters. Election is a game of numbers and conviction even more then prayer and fasting. Sell your candidate with valid reasons not stupid logic. Don’t threaten the unity of the nation as you did in 1966. Violence will not make Peter Obi President, conviction can.


Soibi Versatile is Daily Memoirs Chief Writer