Group Defends Tinubu Against NDC’s Allegations on Athletes’ Rewards

The Tinubu Stakeholders Forum (TSF) has defended President Bola Tinubu against claims by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) that he makes empty promises to Nigerian athletes, insisting that the administration has already begun delivering on reward packages announced for outstanding sportsmen and women.

The group stated this in a statement issued on Thursday by its Chairman, Ahmad Sajoh, and Secretary, Danjuma Sada.

It said the NDC’s allegation was inconsistent with publicly available facts, arguing that the Federal Government had fulfilled key aspects of promises made to athletes who represented Nigeria in major international competitions.

According to TSF, members of the Super Eagles who finished as runners-up at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations have received title documents and certificates for the houses and land allocations approved by President Tinubu.

“Facts in the public domain are that the Tinubu administration has demonstrated a clear record of implementing presidential commitments to Nigerian sportsmen and women,” the statement said.

The group also said members of the national women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, had received title documents for the houses promised to them, alongside the national honours conferred by the President.

It added that the National Sports Commission had confirmed that the cash component of the reward packages was being processed through the appropriate government financial institutions.

TSF further cited the reward package announced for the Super Falcons after their triumph at the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, noting that the package included national honours, cash awards and three-bedroom apartments.

According to the forum, the implementation of the package is already underway through the relevant government agencies.

“These are verifiable facts. They contradict the NDC’s sweeping claim that the President merely makes promises without taking steps to fulfil them,” the group said.

While defending the administration’s record, TSF urged the relevant government agencies to conclude every outstanding aspect of the reward packages to ensure that athletes received all their entitlements without unnecessary delay.

The group maintained that the Tinubu administration had demonstrated greater commitment to rewarding athletes than previous governments, many of which failed to redeem similar promises made to sportsmen and women.

“It is important to place this issue in its proper historical context. Successive administrations made similar promises to Nigerian athletes that remained unfulfilled for years and, in some cases, decades.

“By contrast, the Tinubu administration has commenced implementation within its tenure, with documented evidence of houses, title documents and national honours already delivered in several cases,” it said.

The forum accused the NDC of overlooking documented evidence in its criticism of the President, insisting that political discourse should be guided by facts.

“The NDC cannot erase documented facts with political rhetoric. A government that has already begun delivering on its commitments to Nigerian athletes cannot honestly be accused of making only ‘fake promises’,” the statement added.