Opinion: Will The Scheduled 2022 NFF Election Hold On 30th September

Opinion: Will The Scheduled 2022 NFF Election Hold On 30th September?

The date is fixed, the aspirants have been screened, the venue is confirmed, the delegates are prepared, looking forward with keen anticipation. However, one thing remains uncertain. Will the election hold on the scheduled date or not?

In this very incisive and explosive analysis, Wale Ajayi takes his time to unleash all the hidden truths about Nigeria football and why we all must own up and face reality especially at a time like this when it now seem that all hopes are almost lost going forward.

 How did we get to where we are today?

Many have called to ask if this election will hold as scheduled on the 30th of this month and my answer has been an outright no! Reason being that I have done wide consultations, asked questions from some top government personalities, key football stakeholders, congress men and women and members of the professional footballers association of Nigeria PFAN before arriving at this position. 

 It is obvious that chieftains of the Executive committee of the NFF and key congress members are not willing to shift position as it stands as regards widening the goalpost to accommodate members of the PFAN despite an existing agreement reached between both parties earlier this year.

 If you can recall, it was on the bases of this agreement that Harrison Jalla and Rumson Baribote agreed to withdraw the case earlier filed at a federal high Court in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa capital stopping the NFF general assembly earlier fixed for December last year in Lagos.

After series of meetings involving 28 FA chairmen led by Katsina state FA chairman Aminu Kurfi in Abuja, the Harrison Jalla led group agreed in writing with the Break-away congress members to withdraw the case, on the understanding that the 28 Congress members will put forward the demands of the PFAN before the congress for consideration and approval.

A failed promise

The 28- Congress members did as initially promised, as status amendment was listed as part of the agenda of the recently held NFF AGA in Lagos but somehow, it was left out of discussions during the meeting, forcing the Jalla led group to see this latest action as a betrayal of trust which has now led us to where we are today.

Now what is the way out?

The position of the federal government as it stands, is that there is an existing court case and that as a government that believes in the rule of law, there is the temptation to stay away from this controversy.

Government on its part has been a clever mediator in all of these. The meeting between the Nigeria sports minister, the 28-man breakaway congress members and the PFAN members coincided with the federal government declaration that the NFF must set a timeline for fresh elections with the convening of the Annual General Assembly and an amendment of the status to accommodate more stakeholders.   

The federal government was happy to see two of these conditions met except for the third, which is the amendment of the status to pave way for an expanded congress.    

As it stands, the PFAN are seriously fighting their cause, clinging on to government's position, to further explain their decision to go to court.

What is the way out of the present logjam?

It is a good thing that the Nigeria sports minister has invited all 11 NFF presidential aspitants to a closed door meeting in Abuja. This meeting according to sources, is to officially inform the candidates of government's position and direction and negotiate a way out of the present logjam.

After carefully analyzing the issues, Wale made bold to say that the PFAN have a good cause and have done nothing wrong in negotiating a deal for Nigeria footballers.

 It is unfortunate, that the persons involved in these negotiations are not liked by the present NFF board and some self acclaimed power brokers in Nigeria football but truth remains that these men have every credential to be identified as stakeholders and deserve rheir fair share of respect.

Secondly, if the congress in it's wisdom agreed to negotiate with an aggrieved party under whatever circumstances, they must be ready to fulfil all promises made, and try not to disguise in ignorance.

That said, the decision to go to court at this time when everyone is hellbent on seeing the end of this present board might just not be the best. As much as we understand that the PFAN members have explored all platforms of negotiation available, there is still one more, which is the sitting government and that is where the honourable Minister of Youth and Sports development comes into the picture.

Attention: Hon Minister of Youth and Sports, Chief Sunday Dare

Sir, this is for your attention and consideration ahead of Tuesday's meeting with all eleven NFF presidential aspirants. If you ask me sir, I would have suggested that you don't limit this meeting to just the presidential aspirants, I would have advised that everyone contesting for an office in the September 30 NFF Election should have been invited and be told in clear terms what government expects of them.

 The days when people bamboozle government with FIFA ban is over. In eight years, despite all the noise that Nigeria football is 80% autonomous, the Amaju Pinnick led NFF Board collected close to 22billion naira from government and offered little or nothing in return.

All they gave this government and the over 100m football fans is heart breaks and more heart breaks.

The minister should as a matter of fact make it clear to the contestants that Nigeria football administration will no longer be business as usual as government henceforth, will want clear transparency and documentation on how monies recieved from government coffers are spent.

After all the warnings, government should ask all the aspirants to sign an undertaking that if elected to the executive committee of the new NFF board on September 30, they owe it a responsibility to Nigerians, to the federal government and indeed the PFAN to conduct a bye election before 3months of their tenure, that will pave way for an additional five persons to come on board.

Where this is not feasible, then, the new president must agree to convene a congress that will immediately amend the status to accommodate new members into the congress and agree to absorb two members of the present PFAN board into the new team either as chairman and member of the technical Committee or chairman and member of the technical department.

Thirdly, there is also the option of agreeing to clear the path for one of Daniel Amokachi or Ben Akwuegbu to be voted into the next executive committee as board member.

If all aspirants agree to this undertaking, then the minister in his wisdom, can appeal to the aggrieved party to go withdraw the case from court before Thursday to pave way for elections on Friday September 30.

Government has a decision to make at this point and government is bigger than any individual or group in this game. Government position must not be influenced be sentiments, rather, government must be decisive. It is too late in the day to postpone the election as money have been spent and emotions are seriously attached to that date. So, as a way forward, government must insist that the election goes ahead only after all the aspirants have agreed to sign to this undertaking to prove their sincerity and trust.

By Adewale Ajayi

From Canada