IPOB Sit-at-home: NNL Super 8 Matches Postponed
By Amaechi Agbo
The ongoing 2021 Nigeria National League, play-off matches, Super 8 in Enugu, Enugu State has been shifted by one day, www.bestchoicesports.com.ng can report
The postponement and consequent suspending of matches due to hold today, Thursday, September 9 was due to the Sit-at-home order by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB declared to hold today.
The Sit-at-home order was in protest against the arrival of the President Mohammadu Buhari to Imo stay today.
President Buhari will arrive Imo State to commission projects but the IPOB group has declared a total lockdown in the region asking Ndígbo and all traditional rulers to stay away from the planned visit.
IPOB in a broadcast on Monday evening declared Thursday as a Sit-at-home protest over the president’s visit.
One of the IPOB executives, Mazi Chika Edoziem, Who.made the broadcast declared that Nigeria’s president is not “welcomed into Imo State, Biafra Land on Thursday, September 9, 2021.”
According to him, “all the traditional rulers, all ndi iche and every Biafran should stay away from any ceremony organised by Hope Uzodimma (Imo State governor) to welcome him.”
IPOB equally declared total lock down of Biafra on that day.
A release from the NNL media department confimed the postponement of matches from Thursday to Friday, September 10, 2021.
“Kindly note, the remaining match day 2 NNL Super 8 between Gombe Utd and DMD,(25mins), will now be played Friday 10 September, 2021 and not Thursday 9 September as earlier announced.
Time is 8am,” part of the statement on Wednesday read
Gombe United were 1 goal up as at the time rainfall made the pitch unplayable forcing the match officials to suspend the match.
“Also the Bendel Insurance v Ekiti United match day two will follow immediately,’ the statement concluded.
Heavy downpour on Wednesday afternoon disrupted match-day 2 of the Super 8 playoff in Enugu.
Two matches where concluded on Wednesday but two others were postponed to Friday. One match each from the Conferences were concluded; Niger Tornadoes had defeated Elkanemi Warriors 2-0 on Wednesday morning while Shooting Stars versus Remo Stars ended in 1-1.
Gombe United versus DMD FC could not be completed due heavy downpour as it was ended in the 65th minute when the ball could not bounce on the turf. Due to this, Ekiti United versus Bendel Insurance could not hold. Both games supposed to be played on Thursday will be played in Friday.
Prior to the postponement, four games were scheduled to hold on match-day 3 which is today but all have been postponed to Friday while Thursday becomes the “rest day” for all the players.
The best two teams in each of the groups will be promoted to the 2021/2022 Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL season.