Olympics in 2024: We Will Continue To Be Harmed By Bad Political Leaders—Peter Obi

Following its dismal showing at the recently finished 2024 Paris Olympics, politician and Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi has outlined many lessons Nigeria should remember in the general election of 2023.

The former governor of Anambra State claimed that despite the defeat, the nation still achieved several noteworthy milestones in a series of tweets posted on his official X feed on Monday.

But he advised Nigerians to get rid of bad political leaders because they will do more harm than good to the country.

He stated, “I would like Nigerians to not ignore the powerful message from the global sports event after I lamented Nigeria’s disastrous outing in the 2024 Paris Olympics yesterday.”

“Despite the fact that nine African nations took home medals, Nigeria emerged from the global competition with some encouraging results that highlighted our pressing issues, even if the continent of Africa as a whole concluded with zero medals.

Because they functioned in better contexts where talent is recognized and nations take themselves seriously, four Nigerians shone at the Olympics.

Germany’s Yemisi Ogunleye took home the gold. The United States of America’s Annette Echikunwoke, who was disappointed to leave Nigeria, won gold. Ebelechukwu Agbapuonwu, who showed athletic potential at the age of 15 in Port Harcourt, River State, before converting to a different religion and nationality, won silver medals for Bahrain. Finally, Rena Wakama, the 32-year-old American Nigerian who coaches the D’Tigress, Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, was named the best coach at the Olympics after leading her team to the quarterfinals.

“Her extraordinary strategic acumen and leadership skills were seen. Nigerians have demonstrated their abilities on numerous occasions, demonstrating that they are capable of overcoming any challenge given the correct conditions and guidance.

“This message should challenge us to realize that until we deconstruct the corrupt system and enthrone a new Nigeria that is achievable, our weak political leadership will continue to harm us irreversibly.”

At the 2024 Olympics, the Nigerian team was unable to secure even a single medal.

The Sports Ministry declared in a statement on Monday that it will start planning for the upcoming Olympics right away.

The statement declared that it was prepared to “turn the tides and restore our sporting glory.”

The ministry’s spokeswoman, Kehinde Ajayi, stated in a statement on Monday that “the journey in Paris has inspired us as a Ministry to start now for the next games coming up in Los Angeles 2028, so we can rewrite history and show the world we are the giant of the black race.”