By Onochie Anibeze
There was a time, not too long ago, when February 5 meant only one or two things to Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq: football. Pure, unfiltered football joy. It was a way of marking a day that means so much to him. Before he became governor,
Abdulrahman was always somewhere around this time of the year. It was usually his best window for a proper vacation, and that vacation almost always revolved around a football stadium. Grass, goals, noise, tension, joy — that was his playground.
But times changed.
The football enthusiast, who didn’t just love the game but actually played it, could no longer afford to savour one of the things that pleased him most: FOOTBALL. Service to motherland stepped in and politely, but firmly , took that joy away. That’s what service does. It demands sacrifice, and Abdulrahman answered the call without argument.
For years, the African Cup of Nations, traditionally held between January and February, was his annual pilgrimage. He watched World Cup matches too, of course, but AFCON had a special pull on him. Charity, after all, begins at home. African football spoke directly to his soul.
I first met him in Burkina Faso in 1998. Nigeria was still under CAF ban, and the Super Eagles were not part of that Nations Cup. In 1996, General Sani Abacha had stopped the Eagles from defending the AFCON title they won in Tunisia in 1994 (played in South Africa), following diplomatic tensions with Nelson Mandela, who condemned the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni Nine. As a result, Nigeria was sanctioned for withdrawing from the 1996 edition, and by 1998, we were still paying the price.
I was covering the tournament in Burkina Faso when I noticed a man proudly dressed in Nigerian colours at one of the matches. That alone was puzzling. The Eagles weren’t playing, so who was this lone patriot advertising Nigeria in a foreign stadium? Curiosity got the better of me. I walked up to him and introduced myself.
Pleasantries followed. Then I asked the obvious question: “Why are you here? What brought you all the way here when Nigeria is not even playing?”
Without blinking, he replied,
“Football. Good football brought me here. I’m here to watch good football.”
That was Abdulrahman.
And here’s the part that still amazes people today: he drove from Lagos to Burkina Faso — not for politics, not for business, but simply in search of good football. That moment sparked a friendship that has lasted till today.
Mali 2002? Abdulrahman was there.
Tunisia 2004? He showed up again.
His passion for football knew no borders and no excuses. Even after assuming office as governor, Kwara United featured twice on the continental stage , a coincidence only to those who don’t understand how deeply football runs in his veins. His touch helped the game in Kwara.
The Nations Cup just ended in Morocco. Was Abdulrahman there? I’m not aware. And that, in itself, tells a story.
Something has taken away his passion or more accurately, something greater has demanded it. He has sacrificed football for service to motherland, and the people of Kwara State are the beneficiaries of that sacrifice.
Instead of sitting in Moroccan stadiums, Abdulrahman was seated with security briefings, intelligence reports and sleepless nights. He couldn’t afford to watch this year’s AFCON, interestingly described as best organised, even though poor officiating and a few incidents dented its smooth flow. Governance doesn’t pause for kick-off times.
Infrastructure, health, education, agriculture, job creation — his strides in these areas were already attracting loud ovation when insecurity reared its ugly head in Kwara. And suddenly, billions meant for development had to be redirected to fighting terrorism. Sad, but unavoidable. That’s governance. And he has taken it on with quiet determination.
If you know Abdulrahman, you know one thing: he doesn’t make noise about his efforts. Ever heard of elaborate project commissioning ceremonies in Kwara? Ever seen endless live broadcasts or newspaper congratulatory messages praising his administration? Ever noticed loud promotion of state events? No. That’s not his style.
He works quietly. No fanfare. No razzmatazz. No airs.
His focus is service, not showmanship. Once the people are served, he moves on. That’s the Abdulrahman we know.
He couldn’t even create time for his usual February vacation to attend the Nations Cup in Morocco, even though the tournament came earlier than usual due to a calendar change. Otherwise, AFCON would still be on now. February 5 had always belonged to football.
February 5 is Abdulrahman’s birthday , a day he once “gave” generously to football.
But since he became governor of Kwara State, he has been giving it to the people.
That, in a sentence, is sacrifice.
Happy birthday, Your Excellency. May God bless you with more wisdom, strength and good health to continue serving humanity. And maybe , just maybe , one day soon, football will welcome you back to the stands you love so dearly.
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