NFF President Amaju Pinnick
The 78th Annual General Assembly and elective congress of
the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) are ongoing in Benin city, the Edo State
capital.
The event was nearly stopped by a court ruling but an Appeal
Court on Thursday paved the way for the elections to go ahead as earlier
scheduled.
A new leadership for the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)
will emerge today in Benin, venue of the Federation’s electoral congress, which
got the go-ahead order from an Abuja Court of Appeal, yesterday.
The elections, which are part of the Federation’s 78th
Yearly General Assembly, will decide who takes over from incumbent NFF
President, Amaju Pinnick.
There were fears on Wednesday that the elections would not
hold as scheduled today following an order from the Federal Ministry of Sports
telling the candidates to stay away from the polls in deference to a court
order halting the process.
But yesterday, a ruling by the Court of Appeal ordered a
stay-of-execution of a recent ex parte injunction secured by some stakeholders
to stop the elections.
Announcing that the elections will go ahead as planned,
chairman of the Electoral Committee, Aikhunegbe Anthony Malik, said in statement:
“Some few minutes ago, my attention was drawn to an enrolled order of the Court
of Appeal, Abuja Division, staying the restraining, “parties to maintain the
status quo ante” order of the Federal High Court, duly served on the NFF.
“I have taken it a step further by personally confirming the
making and existence of this order. With this development, all legal hurdles
militating against the holding of the September 30, 2022 election have been
dismantled.
“Accordingly, I am pleased to announce that the Electoral
Committee is now on a strong legal wicket to proceed with the conduct of the
election tomorrow, Friday, 30 September, 2022, at the ancient city of Benin,
Edo State.
“I am aware that members of the NFF General
Assembly/Congress, including the candidates for the election, who constitute
the electorate, have arrived Benin City. I am aware, as well, that
representatives of FIFA and CAF, as well as accredited pressmen, election
observers/monitors are already on ground Benin. As the chairman of the NFF
Electoral Committee, I assure everyone that the Committee will deliver on its
mandate of organising a credible, democratic, free and fair election that we
all will be exceedingly proud of.”
And so, it is time to choose a new NFF president from among
10 stakeholders, who are already in Benin for the exercise. 12 other
stakeholders are also vying for positions on the Federation’s executive
committee.
Among the candidates for the presidency are the Federation’s
incumbent First Vice President, Seyi Akinwunmi; Second Vice President, Shehu
Dikko; Head of Safety and Security of the Confederation of African Football,
Dr. Christian Emeruwa; former NFF secretary general, Musa Amadu; Chairman of
Chairmen, Shehu Gusau and current board member, Suleiman Yahaya Kwande.
Also vying to become Nigeria’s number one football
administrator is chairman of FCT Football Association, Mallam Adam Mouktar
Mohammed; former Nigeria international goalkeeper, Peterside Idah; former
Chairman of Kano Pillars FC and respected technocrat, Alhaji Abba Abdullahi
Yola and UK-based David-Buhari Doherty.
The electoral committee had earlier disqualified former
Enyimba, Rangers and Iwuanyanwu Nationale goalkeeper, Paul Yusuf, and Marcellinus
Anyanwu from Imo State, while a former NFF First Vice President, Mazi Amanze
Uchegbulam, pulled out of the race during the week.
Three candidates form the South East are vying to become the
NFF first vice president. They include, Enyimba Chairman, Felix Anyansi-Agwu, a
current board member; another board member, Senator Obinna Ogba; and Chinedu
Okoye from Anambra State.
Current board member, Alhaji Yusuf Ahmed ‘Fresh’ will
replace Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau as Chairman of Chairmen, as he was the only
one who obtained the form, and has been cleared for, the position. There are
also 20 other candidates vying to become members of the board.
Meanwhile, some members of world football-governing body,
FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) are in Benin for the
elections.
They are FIFA’s Head of Development Programmes for Africa,
Solomon Mudege, and a former Swiss international player, Gelson Fernandes, who
is FIFA’s Director for Africa.
Speaking on arrival in Benin, Mudege said: “We are happy to
be here and to witness another milestone in the history of Nigeria Football. We
believe it is going to be an interesting Congress with the elections.”
According to the programme, winners in the will be sworn in immediately after
the elections.
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