Anambra FA Election: Green, Baribote Berate NFF

Anambra FA Election: Green, Baribote Berate NFF

By Niyi Busari

Chairman, Rivers State Football Association Barrister Christopher Green and former Second vice-president of the Nigeria Football Federation, Victor Baribote has said that the federation is not in the best position to declare Anambra FA election null and void, BSNSports.com.ng can report.

In two different interviews, Green added that the power to declare the Anambra election legal or illegal lies with the State Electoral Committee. In his reaction to the statement from the nation's football body, Green said; "Is this an official statement from the Nff? Is it an official release? Who signed it? Can I take it to the bank? Why is there no statement from the Anambra FA Electoral Committee? What right has Gusau to say the election won't stand? Is he the mouth piece of the Nff or person authorized to talk on behalf of the Nff.
Following the statutes, Anambra FA is independent. What ought to have happened is for the Anambra FA Electoral Committee to make a statement on its position and inform the Nff who in turn would confirm. It may not be different from what has been released. The right process and procedure should be followed."

In the same vein, the former Chairman of the Nigeria Premier League, Victor Baribote stated that the presence or absence of the federation does validate or invalidate the state FA election.

"It is not compulsory that NFF must supervise the election of any affiliate body. The affiliate will only communicate with the NFF that a particular FA election is duly conducted at a given time. The presence or absence of the NFF has nothing to do validity of the election."

"For instance, in the NFF Elective Congress in Warri. There was no CAF official to monitor the election before he was in office for the first four years. So, this is one of the things they use in deceiving Nigerians. It is not compulsory as the regulatory, courtesy demand that the State FA puts them on notice on the date of an election. If they want attend so be it, if they can't, it doesn't invalidate the election."

Recall that Anambra State Football Association conducted their action on Monday where Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah was re-elected for the second term, however, NFF distance itself from the election describing it as brigandage.