EZE OKPOKO 1 LEAGUE CUP : Igando-Ikotun LCDA Chairman, Comrade Lasisi Ayinde Akinsanya, Showers Praises On Eze Nwokedi’s Philanthropic Gestures , Solicits Igbo Bulk Votes For APC

The much awaited maiden edition of  Eze Okpoko 1 League Cup ,has finally commenced in Alimosho, Lagos, with the Executive Chairman of Igando- LCDA, Snr. Comr. Lasisi Ayinde Akinsanya, officially kicking off the One Million Naira trophy  grassroots competition, hosted by Ambassador Dr. Eze Chika C. Nwokedi. 

 At the opening day of the tournament matches last Sunday ,August 27,2026 ,held at Oropo Community School, Abaranje, Community leaders, political office holders, football enthusiasts, players, supporters and members of the Igbo community, trooped out in their numbers to watch their favourite teams slug it out with their opponents  .   

Out of the six participating Clubs , made up of —Ndi Igbo Buru’Otu; Eastern Brothers;The Legend Star; Obi Udo; Igbo Speaking and Igbo Bi Na Ije, the four club Sides in the opening fixtures ,made up of Ndi Igbo Buru’Otu versus The Legend Star and Obi Udo versus  Igbo Speaking ,had their  matches ending 0-0 goal less draws, after regulation time, with the four teams displaying strong defensive performances.

While Performing the ceremonial kick – Off, the Special guests of honour and Executive Chairman of Ikotun-Igando LCDA, Snr. Comrade Lasisi Ayinde Akinsanya,poured encomium on Eze Nwokedi’s humanitarian gestures to the society .

 Akinsanya commended Nwokedi’s football tournament initiative and showered praises on his commitment to supporting people and contributing to community development.

For the Chairman, Nwokedi could have chosen to live in more affluent parts of Lagos but had instead remained connected to the community and continued to support various initiatives.

Comrade Akinsanya , also acknowledged Nwokedi’s contributions to youth and community development, saying such initiatives deserved encouragement.

He therefore appealed to members of the Igbo community and other residents to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 electionsAkinsanya urges massive support for APC in 2027.

Akinsanya specifically appealed to the people to mobilise massive votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Lagos State Governor-elect, Obafemi Hamzat, whom he described as the preferred candidate to succeed Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

He urged the people to support Tinubu for a second term, saying a strong electoral mandate would enable the administration to secure greater political influence and attract more benefits to Lagos and its communities.

According to him, the people should not only vote for the APC but should ensure that the party receives massive support at the polls.

He said the community needed to recognise the importance of its voting strength and use it to negotiate for greater representation and development.

The Chairman  also praised President Tinubu’s administration and expressed confidence in Hamzat’s capacity to lead Lagos State.

He described Hamzat as an intelligent and experienced politician who understood the challenges confronting Lagos and possessed the capacity to continue the development agenda of the state.

He therefore called on residents to mobilise men, women and youths to support the APC candidates in the 2027 elections.

“We are not only canvassing for votes for our father, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We are canvassing for massive votes. The votes in Lagos State should be massive,” he said.

He further  appealed to the Igbo community to support the APC, stressing that its numerical strength could translate into political influence if properly mobilised.

He linked the appeal to the broader relationship between the Igbo community and the administration in Ikotun-Igando, urging residents to reciprocate what he described as the support and inclusion they had received from the local council.

Speaking on the significance of the tournament, Akinsanya described football and other sporting activities as powerful instruments for promoting unity among people of different ethnic groups, ages and social backgrounds.

He said sporting events created an environment where people could interact without allowing ethnic differences to divide them.

“It is when we are playing football that you will see everybody come together. You won’t be able to distinguish Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Delta, Itsekiri or anybody. All of us are one,” he said.

He urged the players to approach the competition with discipline and sportsmanship, stressing that football should not be treated as a do-or-die affair.

“Football is a peaceful game. It is a game that unifies all—both young and old, women and men, boys and girls. Some people will win and some people will lose. That is the spirit of football,” he said.

Speaking earlier,Eze Nwokedi,who is the  Tournament Sponsor and Initiator, as well as the Eze Ndigbo in Ijegun / Ijadodo and  President of Ndi Igbo Buru’Otu Association of Nigeria , explained that the competition was designed to go beyond football.

Nwokedi said his objective was to bring people together, encourage young people to develop their talents and create opportunities for outstanding youths.

Unfolding and unveiling a larger picture of his visions , including youth empowerment plans, Nwokedi disclosed plans to identify talented players during sporting activities and support some of them with educational opportunities, including scholarships and opportunities to study abroad.

He also announced plans to support boxing and other sporting activities as part of his youth empowerment programme.

According to him, a youth empowerment initiative planned for November would involve young people between the ages of 12 and 25, with about N3 million expected to be committed to the programme.

Nwokedi said outstanding youths would be considered for scholarships or opportunities to travel abroad for further education or development.

He explained that the long-term objective was to build a sustainable platform through which young people could benefit from sports, education and empowerment.

“I just want to make them happy. I just want to bring the people together,” he said.

Nwokedi also stressed the importance of using the tournament to strengthen relationships between the Igbo community and other ethnic groups in Lagos.

Collaborating Eze Nwokedi’s assertions ,the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Hon. Obinna Onyeruka, said the first edition was primarily targeted at members of the Igbo community, but plans were already in place to make future editions more inclusive.

According to him, subsequent editions would accommodate participants from other ethnic groups, including Yoruba and Hausa communities. He described the tournament as a league-style competition involving six teams.

Onyeruka said the first-place winner would receive N500,000, while the second-place winner would receive N300,000 and the third-place winner N200,000, with an additional N100,000 prize, bringing the total prize commitment to N1 million.

He said the opening matches were closely contested, with Ndi Igbo Buru’Otu and The Legend Star playing out a 0-0 draw.

The second encounter between Obi Udo and Igbo Speaking also ended goalless.

Earlier In his welcome address, the Vice President of Ndi Igbo Buru’Otu Association of Nigeria, Chief Ogbuka, said the initiative was conceived to achieve objectives beyond sporting competition.

He said football had a unique ability to bring people together regardless of age, profession, social status or ethnic background.

“Today, we are not gathered here merely to watch a competition. We are here to celebrate and share our identity, foster friendship and strengthen the spirit of togetherness among people and communities,” he said.

Ogbuka commended the players for their determination, discipline and sportsmanship, while urging supporters to contribute positively to the success of the tournament.

He also appreciated Akinsanya for honouring the event and supporting the initiative. He called for stronger cooperation among Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba and other communities, describing the tournament as a step towards building a more united society.

It would be recalled that Akinsanya was accompanied to the event by members of the sixth legislative house and other officials of the council.

Among those present were the Leader of the House, Hon. Tajudeen Olorunfemi; Deputy Leader, Hon. Tosin Opebiyi; Majority Leader, Hon. Olawale Hassan; Chief Whip, Hon. Mukandasi Musbau; Councillor representing Ikotun Ward, Hon. Omotosho Saheem; Councillor representing Igando Ward, Hon. Akinyemi Haruna; Councillor representing Obadore-Akesan Ward, Hon. Radhidat Mohammed; Chief of Staff, Ahmed Oloyede;SLG, Comr. Mojisola Ayinke Badmus; and Hon. Omolabi Emmanuel, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, among others.

Igbo Leaders and Stakeholders at the event described the tournament as a welcome development for grassroots sports and community integration.

Highly elated Engineer Norbert Ejike,said  the competition is a friendly sporting initiative capable of keeping young people engaged and promoting positive interaction.

He said grassroots football remained important in identifying and developing young talents while providing opportunities for people to interact and build relationships.

Comrade Prince Saviour Iche described the competition as a “match of unity,” saying it had provided an opportunity for members of the Igbo community to come together and showcase their talents.

He commended the organisers for successfully putting together the maiden edition and expressed confidence that subsequent editions would be better.

Speaking , Youth Leader of the Igbo Speaking Community in Lagos,Comrade Ikechukwu Izuegbunam, who expressed joy over the competition ,said  the tournament is a landmark event for the Ikotun-Igando community.

Chief Izuegbunam, said the community had not witnessed a competition of such nature before, describing the opening day as an exciting moment for participants and spectators.

He said the tournament offered residents an opportunity to relax and temporarily ease the pressures of everyday life.

He also commended the officiating team for coordinating the matches, noting that while disagreements were inevitable in football, they could be resolved through understanding and dialogue.

According to him, the maiden edition had also helped the organisers identify areas that needed improvement, with lessons from the first edition expected to be applied to subsequent tournaments.

The event also highlighted the importance of sustained investment in grassroots football.

Akinsanya disclosed that he had previously organised an under-14 football competition and planned to continue the initiative annually.

He said some of the young players who participated in the previous competition had been shortlisted for opportunities, while some had subsequently travelled abroad to pursue professional football careers.

He stressed the need for more competitions capable of identifying talented young footballers and providing them with opportunities to develop their careers.

Unified in a common goal, the captains of Ndi Igbo Buru’Otu and The Legend Star expressed optimism that the competition would achieve its objective of fostering unity.

They also promised that their teams would return stronger in subsequent matches and compete for victory while maintaining sportsmanship.

Although the opening matches produced no goals, spectators applauded the players for their commitment, defensive discipline and competitive spirit.

With the maiden edition now underway, the organisers said their long-term ambition is to transform the Eze Okpoko 1 League Cup into an annual community sporting initiative capable of promoting talent discovery, youth empowerment, education and peaceful coexistence.

The tournament is also expected to expand in subsequent editions to accommodate youths from different ethnic backgrounds, reinforcing its stated objective of using sport as a platform for unity and community development.

 Indeed, beyond the One Million Naira prize tag football competition, the  Organizers used the event to provide a platform for discussions on community development, youth empowerment and  ethnic unity .