Special Reports: Permanent Secretary Plans To Manipulate, Rig Bauchi State FA Election Uncovered

Special Reports: Permanent Secretary Plans To Manipulate Bauchi State FA Election Uncovered

By Niyi Busari

As Nigerians are preparing for the general elections billed for February 16, 2019, to usher in the new government or for the ruling party to continue its second term in office, so also all states FA are preparing for their elections.

In an investigation conducted by Basic Sports in Nigeria (BSN Sports), Bauchi State FA Chairman who doubles as the state Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Budget and Planning, Malam Yahuza Adamu was alleged to have concluded plans to manipulate and rig the postponed state FA election.

Yahuza Adamu according to information was said to have hidden forms away from those who are interested in purchasing forms to contest for different positions in the state FA Board and as at the time of filing this report, the situation has not changed.

While Robert Talumun was disqualified to contest for the position of Benue state FA Chairman because he is a civil servant. The same clause was not used to stop Yahuza and some other state chairmen from contesting for the highest position in state FA.

Yahuza who has been the state FA Chairman for ten years was accused of doing 'a-one-man-show' as he was accused of not holding Extra Ordinary Congress for the past ten years and also not making himself available when necessary particularly when interested candidates were searching for where to buy election forms. The unavailable forms were said to have been brought about by artificial scarcity.

A source close to the Bauchi state FA chairman disclosed to BSN Sports that he intimidated delegates who are supposed to vote for candidates on the election date and claimed that they should send only delegates who are loyal and He threatened that delegates that will be sent to Bauchi state FA chairman should be loyal and not a troubled person adding that the state government is interested in the FA poll.

In a text (SMS) message made available to www.bsnsports.com.ng sent to all Executive Committee Members (Exco) in the state on 8th January 2018 by the state FA Secretary, Hussein Ibrahim Garba.

The text message reads;
"All Staff Officers: Local Govts are expected to send to the Chairman, Bauchi State Football Association,the Names and Ranks of their Sports Officers latest Monday 14.01.2019. Note that, the delegate you would send should not be a troubled person as the Govt has an interest in that election, pls."

Meanwhile, some aggrieved board members are bent on taking the case to court for denying them rights to contests, they vowed not to write a petition to NFF over the issue but take legal action against the state FA chairman.

In a desperate move to cement his plans NFF Executive member and Chairman of Chairmen, Ibrahim Gusau was alleged to have wanted to put his cronies in some Northern states FA chairman position because of his ambition of contesting and becoming the NFF president in 2022.

All efforts to get the incumbent Bauchi state FA Chairman, Malam Yahuza Adamu response proved abortive as he neither picked our calls nor replied several messages sent to him for the past 8 days.