According to a report by SaharaReporters, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, the Vice President, could not attend the official opening of the 20th National Sports Festival in Edo State on Tuesday, because his plane was affected by bad weather.

The Vice President was reported to have just left Imo State and was expected in Edo for the opening.

A heavy storm, however, around Benin airport in Edo State forced his aircraft to make a detour.

Governor Godwin Obaseki confirmed the situation in his address at the “Edo 2020” opening ceremony.

“His plane had to be diverted due to the bad weather,” the governor said, according to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria.

Osinbajo was to stand in for President Muhammadu Buhari, but an afternoon downpour delayed the commencement of the event.

Sunday Dare, the Minister of Youth and Sports delivered the President’s message.

Dare announced that the festival would showcase Nigeria’s best talents in over 32 different sports events.

“The NSF is the biggest sports fiesta in the country, where both professionals and home-based athletes converge to display their prowess”, he said.

The 20th edition of the competition was initially scheduled for March 22 to April 1, 2020, but was rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier, Osinbajo was in Owerri, Imo State, a day after armed men attacked the state police headquarters and a prison facility, freeing more than 1,800 inmates.

The gunmen, using guns and dynamites, had attacked the Owerri correctional facility where the inmates were freed.

The outgone Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, had blamed the attacks on the Indigenous People of Biafra and its security arm, the Eastern Security of Nigeria.

“Nigerians must come together and reject the agents of anarchy seeking to cause chaos for their own selfish interests, especially as there are many more who are working tirelessly to build up the country’s system and to enhance it,” Osinbajo had said during the visit.

The Vice President also during the visit opened a road project executed by the state government