Call for Urgent Government Intervention to Save Wikki Tourists FC
By Mubarak Aliyu Kobi
A former Bauchi State Chairman of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Mahmud Yakubu Mohammed, has called on the Bauchi State Government to urgently intervene in the affairs of Wikki Tourists Football Club, warning that the once-proud club is facing steady decline due to poor leadership, politicisation, and growing indiscipline.
Mohammed described Wikki Tourists FC as a public asset and a major symbol of Bauchi State’s sporting identity, noting that the club has historically served as a source of unity, pride, and engagement for thousands of youths. He lamented that the club’s current state reflects a gradual erosion of professionalism and credibility within Nigerian football.
According to him, one of the most visible challenges confronting the club is the activities of certain groups parading themselves as supporters but engaging in hooliganism. He alleged that these groups often cause disorder during matches, refuse to pay gate fees, and damage the club’s image, thereby depriving it of vital match-day revenue and undermining security at match venues.
The former SWAN chairman further identified politicisation of the club’s leadership as a deeper and more damaging problem. He said key management positions, particularly the chairmanship, have increasingly been treated as political compensation posts, with loyalty replacing competence, football knowledge, and experience in sports administration.
Mohammed warned that the consequences of such leadership include internal sabotage, unethical player recruitment, poor contract management, and loss of confidence among youths and potential sponsors. He stressed that since Wikki Tourists is funded with public money and represents Bauchi State nationally, its decline should be treated as a public concern rather than a private issue.
He therefore appealed to Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed to declare a State of Emergency on Wikki Tourists FC to enable comprehensive reforms. He recommended the dissolution and reconstitution of the club’s management based on competence and integrity, reform of supporters’ engagement, and the establishment of transparent, merit-based systems to restore professionalism, stability, and pride to Bauchi football.
