Share
Olugbemi. Adeyinka Ogunleye
4 weeks ago
Overview
Sports, Politics and Power: The Unyielding Spirit of Dudu Orumen
Godwin Dudu Orumen’s choice was clear. Even from childhood. For way back in primary school in Delta state, he had become ecstatic with the heroics of star athletes and footballers. So, Dudu, as he is fondly called, was made for sports. And it will be his calling ; a trade he will carve a path for generations to walk through.
But Dudu did not just want to be a sports administrator. Otherwise, his Bachelors degree in English and Literature would have sufficed. But he wanted to be
a man whose intellect would bridge the worlds of sport and scholarship. Though deeply rooted in the dynamics of athletics, he pursued a degree in Law, not as a diversion, but as a deliberate extension of his passion. With that legal grounding, he fortified his understanding of sports and earned the authority to speak on its matters with both insight and delight ; a deep intelligence and captivating grace, wit, and warmth. So when you speak with Dudu, you find a rare blend of a mind that knows the game and a voice that commands respect in its governance and administration.
Therefore, in the early years of his career, his voice echoed from the terraces of the National Stadium to the quiet corridors of policy. It has now been more than three decades of principled devotion to sports with an unwavering voice. And come, November 19, 2025, at 10:30 a.m., at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, that voice and vision will find permanence in print with the unveiling of his seminal book, Sports, Politics and Power — a compelling chronicle of Nigeria’s sporting soul and its complex dance with politics, ambition, and national identity.
