Special Report: Nigerian Football System Descending Into Anarchy

Special Report: Nigerian Football System Descending Into Anarchy

By Admin

The Nigerian football system is fast descending into anarchy going by the decision of the executive board of the Nigeria Football Federation to indefinitely postpone elections into the Football Associations of the 36 states and FCT.

According to the ‘e-meeting’ held on the 26th of January on WhatsApp, the board decided that based on the various complaints received regarding the ongoing electoral processes geared towards the conduct of elections into some Football Associations of the 36 States and the FCT, the current electoral processes in the Local Councils and States be suspended immediately.

The same set of people at the NFF have always kicked against the overbearing influence of the Federal Government in their affairs despite their heavy financial reliance on the government.

Checking what is a pointer to the NFF election coming up in 2022, it is obvious that the current leadership of the federation led by Amaju Pinnick is already scheming to maintain its hold on the voting pattern in the next 4 years.

Despite the composition of the NFF Football Reform Committee approved by the NFF General Congress on the 24th of October, this same almighty and ‘brilliant’ committee has not been able to come out with any white paper regarding the way forward for Nigerian football.

The committee headed by the 1st Vice Chairman of the NFF, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi also has NFF 2nd Vice President/LMC Chairman Shehu Dikko as Vice Chairman, alongside other Board members Ibrahim Musa Gusau, Chidi Ofo Okenwa and Dr. Mohammed Sanusi (NFF General Secretary)

Apart from these big wigs who are benefiting from the present chaos, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi (Chairman, Osun State FA), Rt. Hon. Margaret Icheen (Chairman, Benue State FA), Porbeni Ogun (Chairman, Bayelsa State FA), Nasiru Saidu (Chairman, Sokoto State FA), Alh. Garba Mohammed (Chairman, Yobe State FA), Dr. Kweku Tandoh (Executive Chairman, Lagos State Sports Commission), Barrister Godwin Dudu Orumen (Executive Chairman, Edo State Sports Commission), Alh. Farouk Yarma Adamu (Commissioner for Youth Empowerment, Gombe State), Chief (Mrs) Dilichukwu Onyedinma (Director of Sports, FCT), Alh. Abba Yola (Chairman, NFF Technical Study Group), Shuaib Gara-Gombe and Barrister Isaac Danladi (Chairman of NPFL Club Owners) were also named.

The over-bloated committee which had too many people (who would lose a lot if things are done the right way) as members also has business mogul Yemi Idowu, Barrister Sampson Ebomhe and foremost journalists Tony Ubani, Felix Awogu, Osasu Obayiuwana, Godwin Enakhena and Chisom Ezeoke, as well as one representative each from the Nigeria Football Coaches Association, Nigeria Referees Association and the National Association of Nigeria Professional Footballers as members with a 3-month mandate to come out with their reports.

I won’t bother to go into how the committee boasted about their dedicated websites and social media handles to interface with stakeholders as well as the resultant fights involving Gara Gombe which in no small way crippled their activities.

After all said and done, the committee after its inauguration could not function, hence it was a case of ‘dead on arrival’.

All of a sudden, this same committee that has not been able to function since its inauguration in October, 2018 is now the key to all FA elections across the federation.

Suddenly, despite the myriads of reforms needed in Nigerian football ranging from its administration, finances, endorsements and sponsorship, domestic leagues and national teams’ activities, the FA elections is the only issue which deserve immediate attention.

I wonder why the league was not put on hold or the National Teams told not to play until the effective Reforms Committee come up with their findings

For the big wigs and most of the interested parties recontesting in their different states, they’re just pussy footing to deliberately elongate their stay in office.

I wonder how a committee that could not start and finish its task since October 2018 can perform a miracle with 6 weeks with an expectation to visit each of the geopolitical zones and have town hall discussions with meet specific groups.

With the inability of the NFF Football Reform Committe to make any sense out the task it was saddled with and the subsequent extension of their tenure till 17th April 2019, what happens again if the assignment is not finished before then?

Are we looking at another extension or possible postponement of the various FA elections?

Having established that it was the General Congress that gave the Reforms Committee the mandate, I find it disconcerting that for their terms and stay in office to be extended, the NFF saw no need to call on the General Assembly once again instead of their purported ‘e-meeting’.

I know of a well publicized complaint emanating from some Local Councils in Ondo state ahead of their proposed FA election accusing incumbent, Otunba Dele Ajayi of turning the statutes on his head just to favour his group.

I know of Delta State FA where the incumbent, Fuludu Edema has fingered the Delta State Sports Commission Chairman, Tony Okowa for attempts to impose his favoured candidate.

In Benue state, it’s a case of the incumbent trying to scheme out oppositions under the guise that under the electoral statutes, Civil Servants are not allowed to contest.

But these pockets of protests from some Local Councils and States should not have warranted this indefinite postponement of all FA elections which is seen by many as a cynical move.

Just imagine the outcry from Nigerians if FIFA or CAF made any attempt to interfere in the internal democratic process of the NFF based on the various complaints received from ‘various’ Federations across the continent.

In Nigeria, if we were to talk about uniformity, various complaints or force majure from the different local governments, senatorial districts or states, we would have a made mess of the whole electoral process.

No wonder, states like Ondo, Anambra, Edo and Rivers just to mention a few have their elections on separate dates from the widely accepted General Elections dates.

Most times, those saddled with leadership in Nigeria think most of us are either foolish or ignorant, hence their decision to treat us as one.

In trying to justify their recent decision, the NFF board directed each Football Association in the 36 States and the FCT to immediately convene an Extra-Ordinary Congress (before the expiration of its tenure) to pick a new date between 26th May and 30th June 2019 for its Elective Congress.

Now, for a state like Lagos state which was inaugurated in January, 2015, how will this rule be binding when its 4 year term has already expired.

It simply means that without the consent of the General Assembly of the Lagos FA, the Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi led board is illegally occupying and operating in office which is against the internal statutes of the Lagos FA.

According to grapevine sources, the postponement is an attempt by some incumbents and new entrants backed by the powerbroker to have more time to perfect their plans having sensed danger and the great tsunami threatening to sweep through our football land scape.

In conclusion, not minding the fact that some elections should have been held in January, February and March, the NFF will convene an Extra-Ordinary General Assembly on 30th March 2019 to ratify the Executive board’s decision to postpone the elections into the Football Associations in the 36 States and the FCT.

Kindly note those people who attended this WhatsApp meeting for future purposes:

Amaju Melvin Pinnick (President); Seyi Akinwunmi (1st Vice President); Shehu Dikko (2nd Vice President); Ibrahim Musa Gusau (Member); Yusuf Ahmed ‘Fresh’ (Member); Felix Anyansi-Agwu (Member); Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande (Member); Babagana Kalli (Member); Sharif Rabiu Inuwa (Member); Musa Duhu (Member); Ganiyu Majekodunmi (Member); Emmanuel Ibah (Member); Chidi Ofo Okenwa (Member); Aisha Falode (Member); Mohammed Alkali (Member); Mohammed Sanusi (Secretary)

So, when we go into another round of NFF crisis and FA elections in 2022 and 2023, you should know where it all started from.