Loyalty to Enyimba Is Bigger Than Loyalty to Anyone

A lot has happened at Enyimba in the last few months, and unfortunately, much of it has torn the fanbase into different factions. Some have positioned themselves firmly behind the Club Chairman, while others have taken the opposite side of the divide.

But through all of this, one question keeps coming back:

Who is actually on the side of the club? As a fan, where does your loyalty lie?

This question is not directed at those who are appointees of one person or another, government officials, personal assistants or special assistants, whose affiliations may naturally come with other considerations.

This is for those whose relationship with Enyimba exists simply because of passion.

Those who ask for nothing from the club except the happiness that comes from seeing their team succeed.

And surely, one fan cannot be more Enyimba than another simply because of the resources available to them.

If you can afford to attend every Enyimba match because you have the time and money, someone else may only be able to attend home matches because an away trip is beyond their means. Another person may follow the team entirely online or watch whenever their work schedule permits.

None of these makes one person a greater fan than the other.

What matters is that, within our individual capacities, we contribute to the passion that keeps this club alive.

For the ordinary fan, standing with Enyimba should mean being primarily concerned about the progress of Enyimba — not about who wins a power struggle around the club.

That is why the endless fights and bickering over who controls what at Enyimba, which have persisted since late last year, should concern every genuine supporter. The average fan is left wondering what exactly is happening because, rather than improving an already difficult situation, these battles appear to have made things worse.

And that raises another uncomfortable question:

Are we actually trying to fix the club, or are we simply trying to feed from it?

There is also an unhealthy tendency to label anyone who speaks openly about Enyimba’s dwindling fortunes as an “opposition.”

The moment someone raises concerns about poor performances, declining standards or what they perceive as rot within the club, some are quick to assume that such criticism is an attack on Enyimba itself.

But is calling out a problem really an attack on the club?

Or can it actually be an expression of loyalty to the club?

Nobody complains when everything is going well. When results are coming, standards are being maintained and the team is giving supporters something to celebrate, there is little reason for agitation.

But when it becomes one trouble after another, when results continue to disappoint and standards begin dropping like the value of the naira, surely those who breathe and bleed Enyimba will begin to ask questions.

That is what genuine passion does.

Nobody wants to walk into the office every Monday and be reminded by colleagues that their beloved Enyimba has lost again. Nobody wants to endlessly defend the club while watching standards deteriorate. Nobody wants to be mocked simply because they chose to invest their emotions in a football club.

It is frustrating.

But frustration does not necessarily mean abandonment.

Sometimes, the next expression of love is criticism.

Sometimes, it is demanding accountability.

Sometimes, it is asking uncomfortable questions because you genuinely care about where the club is heading.

Protests, banners and boycotts are not automatically signs of disloyalty. In football, they can also be expressions of support when supporters believe their club is heading in the wrong direction. The objective should not be to destroy the club, but to demand that those responsible get things right.

So, when the factions gather, when the arguments get louder and when people begin asking you to choose a side, perhaps the answer should be simple:

I choose Enyimba.

Stand with the club, not with personalities.

Stand for the badge, not for factions.

Support the players on the pitch. Demand accountability from those responsible. Celebrate when things go right. Speak up when they go wrong.

Because people will come and people will leave.

Administrations will change.

Coaches will come and go.

Players will wear the shirt today and another tomorrow.

But Enyimba remains.

So, Enyimba fans, when the time comes to choose a side, choose the one that outlives us all.

Choose Enyimba. Always.

Enyimba Enyi!