The crisis rocking the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, seems to be getting worse by the day as the Minister of Sports, Tamuno Danagogo, has rejected the decision of the electoral committee set up by the Federation to disqualify former Nigerian international, Segun Odegbami and others from contesting the NFF presidency.
On Wednesday, the body cleared Chris Giwa, owner of Giwa FC, out of the four persons eyeing the post. The other three, Odegbami, Taiwo Ogunjobi (former scribe of the NFF), and Victor Umeh (present Acting Chairman of NFF) were all disqualified.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, Danagogo, also the Chairman of National Sports Commission, NSC, condemned that action of the electoral body, disclosing that, “We want a situation where all stakeholders will contest and neat result will come out.
“For that reason, to us it is proper and it is acceptable to let the press know that we agree with the aggrieved persons in totality.”
“This level of ineptitude is certainly not acceptable. NSC will not conduct elections for them. We will do everything possible to conduct free and fair election, even if we have to delay the process or resell the form. Forms should be open to individuals who are eligible to compete,” he fumed.
Shortly after the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the former NFF president, Aminu Maigari, was removed from office by the sport ministry, which incurred the wrath of the football’s world governing body. Nigeria was earlier suspended by FIFA, but the ban was later lifted.
FIFA is against the intervention of government in football matters.
