Home sweet home, that must be the song on Mike Edwards’ lips as he settles down in Lagos to enjoy the Big Brother Nigeria [BBN] Reality show. Born to a Jamaican dad and a Nigerian mom, he was frustrated by the International Association of Athletics Federations [IAAF] at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast, Australia.
Edwards whose middle name is, Olayemi, was born in Moss Side, a Manchester suburb where he grew up before relocating to Florida, the United States. At 18 in 2008, he represented England in High Jump at the European Junior Championships. The athlete moved up to the seniors and became British champion.
Edwards leaned more towards his Nigerian background and tried to identify with the country as his Eko, Lagos blood pushed him. In 2018, he was named as part of Nigeria’s 37-man team to the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games . It was a dream come true.
Before him, Tosin Oke, who won Triple Jump gold for England at the 1999 European Championships, had switched nationality to Nigeria and won gold at the New Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games. Glory Ogechi Asumnu, formerly a United Junior sprinter, was cleared at the last minute to represent Nigeria at the Daegu 2011 World Athletics Championships.
At the London 2017 World Athletics Championships, Edosie Ibadin, ran for Nigeria in the 800 metres. Before that outing he had represented the United States. That was also what happened to Emerald Egwim, who ran in the 4×100 metres.
The Brits had also enjoyed the IAAF rule in 2010. Tiffany Ofili-Porter, an American Junior athlete, born in Michigan, relied on her mother’s birthplace, London, to switch allegiance to Great Britain. She went on to represent her new country in international competitions even if critics tagged her, ‘Plastic Brit’.
In football, Sone Aluko, who played for the England Under-19 team later joined the Super Eagles as a senior. His sister, Eniola, was busy playing for the English senior female national team. This was at a time dad, Senator Gbenga Aluko, was playing politics at home. Their grandfather, Professor Sam Aluko, was a famous economist.
Alex Iwobi played for England Under-16. Victor Moses featured for that country’s junior teams just like Victor Anichebe. William Troost-Ekong was part of the Dutch Under-17 and Under-20 teams. All these players were later allowed by FIFA rules to play for Nigeria. Anichebe and Ekong even won Olympic medals with the Dream Team.
These were what Edwards thought of when he chose Nigeria in 2018. And his dream was realized when he made the Nigerian team to the Commonwealth Games. The young man thought of gold in Gold Coast.
The IAAF had a different opinion. Edwards was not allowed to jump for his new country. It came to him as a shock. The Nigerian contingent was thrown into confusion. What followed drew even more global headlines.
Edwards began a one-man protest in the Games Village. He moved all over with a catchy placard. It read: ‘Homeless. Dear IAAF, please let me compete 4 Nigeria’.His plea fell on deaf ears. The IAAF refused to grant his request.
The High Jumper was disappointed. He was ready to do Nigeria proud especially after realizing that since Emmanuel Arinze Ifeajuna won Nigeria’s first Commonwealth gold at the Vancouver, Canada Games in 1954, no other compatriot has been able to achieve similar feat in that event.
Nigerians also showed Edwards love. He could have competed for Jamaica as a senior. The athlete chose his mother’s country of origin. Jamaicans did not complain, neither did they miss him. Olufolashade Adamolekun, daughter of a Nigerian, Lanre, and a Jamaican woman, Michelle, chose Jamaica above Nigeria to play for the Reggae Girls, Jamaica’s senior female national team.
Jamaica could chide Stephen Ademolu for choosing to play soccer for Canada. His mother is Jamaican and married a Nigerian. Sounds like the Adamolekun story. In Edward’s case, it is the other way round.
Today, Edwards is in Lagos, the state of his mother, locked up with 21 other Nigerians in a game that defies rules and logic but comes with a tantalizing grand prize. Not that Edwards is in search of easy bucks. He is a UK based businessman with a degree in Marketing from the University of Louisville. Married to Perri Shakes -Drayton, an Olympian, Edwards is also a good basket baller.There are two other prominent sportsmen who bear the name, Mike Edwards. There is the American footballer. And there is the British Pole Vault star.
In the Big Brother House, there is a bevvy of ladies. Kim Oprah, 23, is a former Beauty Queen. Khafi Karim, 29, works in London as a bobby. Tacha is free and 23. Esther Agunbiade, 22, is a lawyer, Thelma Ibemere, hair dresser and there is the ever present Isilomo Braimoh,27, who lost her job before she went for audition. Saidat ‘Avala’ Balogun, 30, is a single mom with fine dentition and studied Music in New York. Victoria ‘Ella’ Nnabuchi,30, is an actress, Diane Yashim 23, graduate of University of Debrecen, Hungary is daring. One only hopes eyes do not turn towards Edwards whose marriage is still very young. Some of the girls love sports. Mercy Eke,26, is a good swimmer.