Football: When Eleme Chose Togetherness over Darkness

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By Nwafor Oji Awala

When the moon is full, it shines on every compound without discrimination. On Sunday, as the 2025 edition of the Eleme Chairman’s Cup Football Tournament drew its final curtain, Eleme once again felt that impartial glow: this time not from the sky, but from the communal spirit ignited by football.


At the centre of the spectacle was a pulsating final where Aleto Football Club edged past Alode Football Club 2–1 to lift the coveted trophy and a sum of ₦3 million. Alode FC, gallant in defeat, went home with ₦2 million, while all other participating teams received ₦500,000 each. Beyond the figures, however, lay a richer harvest: unity, renewed brotherhood, and a reaffirmation that Eleme still knows how to gather as one people.

The tournament dissolved old boundaries. Football did what endless meetings and speeches often fail to do: it reminded Eleme of itself. As our elders say, the drum that summons the village does not ask who offended whom yesterday. At the stadium, chants rose in one voice, strangers shared laughter, and rival colours blended into a single celebration of identity.


Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Executive Chairman of Eleme Local Government Area, Chief Hon. Obarilomate Ollor, captured the soul of the moment when he declared that the end of the tournament marked the beginning of a new era for sports development in Eleme. His words were not mere ceremonial garnish; they were a declaration of intent. According to him, the Chairman’s Cup was conceived to promote unity, peace, and social cohesion, and the massive turnout, festive ambience, and disciplined conduct of fans proved that the objective was not misplaced.


“When people can come together to celebrate, interact, and have fun despite their challenges, it is a clear indication that Eleme is moving forward,” the Chairman noted.

Indeed, a people who can still sing together in hard times have not lost their way. Chief Ollor went further to announce plans for the establishment of an Eleme United Football Club, to be formed from outstanding talents discovered during the tournament. It was a statement that resonated deeply with the youth, proof that talent, when nurtured, can carry a community’s name beyond its borders.

The Chairman’s assurance that the 2026 edition of the Chairman’s Cup would be bigger and better was received with resounding applause, as political leaders, including Senator Olaka Nwogu, Chief Hon. Ejor N. Ejor, and Hon. Dr. Aforji Igwe of the Rivers State House of Assembly, stood in solidarity with the people. Their presence underscored the fact that, at least on the football field, Eleme stood united.

This same message of unity and reassurance echoed days earlier in Agbonchia Clan, when Chief Ollor was conferred with the chieftaincy title Emere Ajuri by the people of Alue-Ejor Makani Community. There, he spoke firmly on peace, security, land protection, and inclusive empowerment, assuring women, farmers, and youths that his administration would not tolerate violence or injustice. In traditional Eleme fashion, honour met responsibility, and title came with service.

Yet, as Eleme danced to goals and celebrations through the yuletide season, a painful irony lingered in the background: darkness. While football lit up hearts, public electricity remained absent. Throughout Christmas season, many communities passed their nights in literal darkness as the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) failed to restore power. It was a sobering reminder that a man may dance in joy, but he still knows where the shoe pinches.

The darkness did not kill the joy, but it dimmed it. Families who gathered around radios and shared generators whispered the same question: how can a people so alive in spirit be left so long without light? Football proved that Eleme can unite effortlessly; governance and service delivery must now match that same tempo.

Still, the enduring lesson of the 2025 Chairman’s Cup is clear. In spite of economic strain, infrastructural gaps, and seasonal hardship, Eleme chose togetherness. When brothers sit around the same fire, the night grows warmer and shorter. On the pitch, Eleme found that fire again.

As the echoes of cheers fade and preparations quietly begin for 2026, one truth remains: Aleto may have lifted the trophy, but Eleme lifted its soul. And when next the lights come on, both on our streets and in our institutions, may they shine as brightly as the unity football has once again restored.

Nwafor Oji Awala

©️ Prime Heritage Magazine 

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