Obafemi Martins Plans Six-Zone Football Tournament for Tinubu’s Re-election

Obafemi Martins Plans Six-Zone Football Tournament for Tinubu’s Re-election

Former Super Eagles striker Obafemi Martins has announced plans to organise and personally finance a youth football tournament in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign.

Martins disclosed the plan during an interview with TVC, saying the competition, which he described as the Renewed Hope Youth Tournament, would be held in November.

The former Inter Milan and Newcastle United forward said the tournament would involve teams representing Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, with an additional two or three teams expected to take part.

“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.

He explained that the initiative was intended to serve purposes beyond political support, stressing that he wanted the tournament to create opportunities for Nigerian youths through football.

“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 also confirmed that he would personally fund the tournament when asked whether he would finance the initiative himself.

“Yes, I’m doing it in November,” he said.

The proposed Renewed Hope Youth Tournament is coming as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with supporters of President Tinubu increasingly using grassroots, youth and sporting initiatives as part of efforts to mobilise support for his re-election.

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The tournament’s proposed structure around the six geopolitical zones could also give young footballers from different parts of the country an opportunity to participate in a national competition. However, Martins has not yet publicly announced the venues, participating teams, prize structure or detailed fixtures for the event.

The former Nigeria international has in recent months also become more vocal about the need for greater youth involvement in Nigerian football administration.

In August, Martins expressed support for Seyi Tinubu, the President’s son, saying he believed Seyi could contribute to changing Nigerian football if he became involved in the administration of the sport.

Speaking on the Obi One Podcast while discussing the crisis in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Martins said Nigerian football needed younger people who understood both the game and the system. He identified Seyi Tinubu as someone he believed could contribute to such efforts.

Martins’ proposed tournament therefore adds a new dimension to his recent public involvement in football and his support for the Tinubu administration ahead of the 2027 election.

The former striker enjoyed a lengthy professional career, including spells with Inter Milan and Newcastle United, and remains a familiar figure among Nigerian football supporters. His latest initiative combines his football background with his stated desire to support young Nigerians and Tinubu’s re-election campaign.

The phrase “Renewed Hope” has become closely associated with Tinubu and his administration. It was used prominently during the 2023 presidential campaign of Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima and has subsequently been adopted in the branding of government programmes and by political groups campaigning for continuity ahead of the 2027 election.

The development also comes against the backdrop of increasing efforts by pro-Tinubu groups to engage young voters ahead of the 2027 election. Recent political mobilisation initiatives have specifically targeted youths and women at the grassroots level in support of the President’s re-election bid.

For Martins, the November tournament represents an attempt to combine his support for Tinubu’s 2027 campaign with a youth-focused football initiative. While the political objective of the event is explicit, the former Super Eagles star has also presented it as an opportunity to support young Nigerians through the sport.

The details of the tournament, including the host city, participating teams, competition format and prizes, are expected to be announced by the organisers as preparations for the November event progress.

Martins has, however, made his central position clear: he plans to finance the competition himself, bring together teams from across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, add other participating teams and use the event to support Tinubu’s bid for another term as President in 2027.

Obafemi Martins Plans Six-Zone Football Tournament for Tinubu’s Re-election