Pinnick's Role In The Push For Eight NNL Teams Promotion To The NPFL

Pinnick's Role in The Push For Eight NNL Teams Promotion To The NPFL ...assures Delta State governor of Delta Stars' Promotion By Niyi Busari BSNSports.com.ng scooped that Nigeria Football Federation President, Amaju Pinnick was fingered to be the brain behind the Nigeria National League Club Managers Association's push for eight NNL teams to gain promotion and participate in the 2018/19 NPFL season. Information reaching our newsdesk which has it that Amaju Pinnick allegedly told the Nigeria National League Club Managers to forget about the Super 8 and propose for the Eight NNL teams promotion to the NPFL. The Super 8 league was agreed by all NNL clubs in a Congress to have two top teams from each of Four abridged NNL groups, play a round-robin league where the champions of the 2017/18 NNL will emerge and also the top four teams be promoted automatically to the elite league. Pinnick who hailed from Delta state and was former Commissioner of Sports in the state was reported to have promised his people that Delta Force will be promoted to the NPFL as a payback for the state's support and hosting of the Super Eagles match. Delta Force of Asaba is currently on the second position behind Remo Stars in the Group B2 of the abridged 2017/18 NNL. A reliable source who preferred his name not mentioned confidently told BSN Sports that the well-orchestrated plans to have twenty eight (28) teams in the 2018/19 NPFL will succeed because of Pinnick influence and interest. The source pointed to the paragraph 4 of the COMMUNIQUE OF THE MEETING OF NFF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE HELD AT THE HAMPTON HOTEL, ASABA, DELTA STATE ON TUESDAY, 20TH NOVEMBER 2018 to further butressed his stand. The statement reads in parts: "Following a presentation by the Chairman of the Nigeria National League, Hon. Chidi Ofo Okenwa, and a response by Mallam Shehu Dikko to the effect that the issue of Relegation/Promotion between NNL and NPFL was a matter for the Clubs to propose, it was resolved that the NNL Board should be encouraged to hold a meeting with all NNL Clubs, after which an expanded meeting involving the NPFL and some NFF members (to be chaired by the NFF 1st Vice President) would take place, to determine the way forward for the promotion/relegation of teams in the NNL for the year. Board empowered the President to approve whatever propositions/decisions are reached at the expanded meeting for a way forward for the League." He stressed further that according to the statement, the final decision of who promote or relegate from the NNL will be determined by Amaju Pinnick after meetings between NNL clubs, NPFL and NFF members must have been concluded. Our efforts to get Pinnick's reactions before press time hit the brickwall as his number was tried several times but was not connecting.