Important Notice: Reading on PHOENIX? Click “Read Original” to Access the Full Story.
Rashidi Oshoba, Nigeria’s first Olympic torchbearer, has claimed that former President Muhammadu Buhari made several promises to him during a meeting at the Presidential Villa in 2016, including financial compensation, houses across the country and a leadership role in Nigerian sports.
Oshoba made the revelation in an interview with Punch Newspapers, on Thursday, 18 June 2026, where he recounted his long wait for the promises to materialise. The veteran sportsman said he met Buhari after being invited to the Presidential Villa and left the meeting hopeful that his years of hardship would soon come to an end.
Recounting the encounter, Oshoba said Buhari assured him that the Federal Government would compensate him for his contributions to Nigerian sports. He added that he sought clarification on the amount involved before the meeting ended.
“I saw late Buhari in person in 2016 inside the Aso Rock Villa. He promised to compensate me and I thanked him. I requested to ask him a question and he obliged. I asked him how much the total money was and he said it was N920,000,000. I thanked him once again and he promised to pay me the money. He also added that he would give me a house in all the states in the country and an official car, and that I was going to be the chairman of the Nigeria Olympic Committee. I thanked him,” Oshoba said.
The former Olympic torchbearer said he has continued to wait for the promises to be fulfilled but has received neither the financial compensation nor the other benefits allegedly pledged during the meeting.
