Akpabio says Flamingos' win means Tinubu will be re-elected

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has said that Nigeria’s historic win at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco shows that President Bola Tinubu will be re-elected in 2027.

Akpabio stated that the Flamingos’ success ahead of the 2027 elections means Nigerians will vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and bring Tinubu back for a second term.

He made these comments on Wednesday while welcoming the Flamingos at the Senate wing of the National Assembly in Abuja.

“Perhaps, the timing of your victory, just as we approach the 2027 election, shows that you brought this World Cup to us. This means we have won the next election. It is the same way Nigerians are going to choose us in January 2027,” he said.

Akpabio also said that Tinubu receiving the trophy from the team shows he will win the 2027 presidential election.

“And for the president to be the one that receives this World Cup from you, it means he’s also going to receive a bigger trophy of his re-election as president of Nigeria. So, keep up the good work and continue to make us proud. The spirit of change is already affecting our economy,” he added.

The 2027 presidential election is set for 16 January 2027, as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

INEC has approved 18 presidential candidates and their running mates for the election, after political parties completed their primaries. The final list of candidates was published on 12 September.

The candidates include Tinubu of the APC; former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the All Progressives Congress (ADC); former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC); and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).

Other candidates are Sandy Onor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC); and Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Flamingos’ historic win

Nigeria beat Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s final at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat, Morocco, making them the first African country to win the tournament.

Awawu Bashiru scored first in the 39th minute, and Oluebube Umejiaku added another goal shortly after halftime. Japan’s Fuki Ito scored in the 80th minute, but the Flamingos held on to win the title.

The Flamingos lost their first group match 2-1 to Poland but bounced back to win six straight matches and lift the trophy. They became the first team in the tournament's history to lose their opening game and still win the title.

They defeated Puerto Rico 2-0 and defending champions Korea DPR 3-1 in the group stage. They then overcame Mexico 2-1 in the round of 16, edged Venezuela in the quarter-finals, and beat Brazil 3-1 in the semi-finals to reach their first final.

This victory also made Nigeria the first African nation to win both the men’s and women’s FIFA U-17 World Cup titles.

On Tuesday, the Senate announced a donation of N100 million to the team to celebrate their historic win and encourage the players.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Akpabio presented the cash donation to the team members. He urged the players to stay united and encouraged the coaches to continue their training and development for promotion to the senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons.