Segun Odegbami, an ex-International and sports administrator, has said that he will declare his governorship ambition on the platform of the Labour Party (LP) in Ogun on July 18. Odegbami made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ota, Ogun on Tuesday.
He said that his intention was to add value to governance and provide dividends of democracy to the people of the state. “I shall become a member of the Labour Party and be officially welcomed on that political platform on Wednesday, July 18,” he said.
The ex-international, however, implored educated elites and artisans, young and old as well as those in diaspora to support his ambition to “change the fortune and face of Ogun and Nigeria”. He said, “Without doubt in Ogun, we have the capacity, the resources, the energy and particularly the people to become the fastest developing community in the world within few years.The state can provide the foundation upon which the emancipation of black persons all over the world will be built.” Odegbami said that he would not engage in “vote buying”.
Odegbami is a retired Nigerian footballer, who played as a forward. He was a member of the Green Eagles that won the 1980 African Cup of Nations. Born Patrick Olusegun Odegbami, on the 27th of August 1952 in Abeokuta Ogun state, Segun Odegbami was a key player if not the main man for Nigeria when the then Green Eagles picked up the AFCON title for the first time in their history in 1980. Blessed with a pace quite like that of Raheem Sterling and skills that would make Iniesta jealous, Odegbami was a right wing forward. Odegbami studied Engineering at the Ibadan Polytechnic where he was a star player at two Polytechnic games before moving to 3SC Shooting Stars where he earned the nickname “mathematical” owing to his academic background.
Odegbami was brought up in Jos, Plateau state and made his debut for the Green Eagles on the 16th of October 1976 at the age of 24 after his skills had propelled 3SC Shooting Stars to the African Cup Winners Cup earlier in the year. Odegbami would go on to be named the third best player in Africa in 1978 before his brace in the final of the 1980 African Cup of Nations provided him his greatest moments as Nigeria lifted the trophy for the first time. Following that success, Odegbami was named the captain of the National team and went on to captain the side at the Olympics where Nigeria failed to wina single game. On the 30th of October 1981, Odegbami retired from International football after an illustrious career with the Green Eagles. In 1984, Odegbami retired from professional football finally after a decorated and celebrated career with Shooting Stars (then called IICC Shooting Stars).
Segun Odegbami is for all intents and purposes a legend of Nigerian football, a man who blazed the trail for wide forwards in Africa while managing to remain friends with former Super Eagles manager, Stephen Keshi. Odegbami made 46 appearances for Nigeria and banged in 23 goals for the country averaging 0.5 goals per match, an average that is better than that of Lionel Messi for Argentina which stands at 0.45 goals per match.
If he doesn’t win the gubernatorial race, Odegbami would be remembered for his dazzling skills, blistering pace, eye for goal, humanity and his parenting of Nigerian pop sensation May7ven