The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described Nigerian-born Anthony Joshua who reclaimed world heavyweight boxing titles following his victory over Andy Ruiz Jr as an emblem of a true Nigerian and the embodiment of the national identity every true Nigerian is made of.
The APC, in a release issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu, said Joshua’s persistence and resilience represented the typical can-do spirit of Nigerians in the face of adversity.
Issa-Onilu said the APC congratulated him on becoming a two-time world heavyweight champion following his victory in a tense rematch in Saudi Arabia.
“With Anthony Joshua’s boxing career suffering a major setback following a shock defeat to Andy Ruiz six months ago, he approached the disappointment with positive spirit. We are not surprised by Anthony Joshua’s deserved and stunning comeback victory which saw him retake the IBF, WBA, IBO and WBO titles.
“Anthony Joshua now joins a small cluster of men including Muhammad Ali, Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson and Floyd Patterson to have reclaimed the world heavyweight title.
“He is a man who is proud to be a Nigerian doing his best in his calling to uplift the name of his fatherland. He rose to world best in boxing with determination, exhibiting the positive audacity for which Nigerians are known worldwide
“As the ruling party, espousing on the ideals of resourcefulness, hard work, self-belief, and patriotism, we are proud to present Anthony Joshua as an emblem of a true Nigerian. We see in him, the embodiment of the national identity every true Nigerian is made of,” the release also read.
