The forthcoming elections into the board of the Nigeria Football Federation have taken a major twist as the majority of the Congress members are now calling for the Annual General Assembly to take place latest on August 15.
Authoritative sources revealed that a notice of resolution served in May is seeking for the AGA of the NFF to hold latest on August 15, which is exactly three months after the notice given in May.
The majority of the Congress members are irked about the lack of activities in the secretariat of the NFF as the current board led by Amaju Pinnick seems to be buying time and foot-dragging over the elections expected to be staged in September.
“There are no signs to show that the
elections are coming up. This current board is also showing bad example to others coming behind them,” our source added.
Investigations revealed that the NFF board is hinging the delay on the Bayelsa court case involving the body which, incidentally have been officially forfeited. The feelers are that the board is hiding behind allegedly waiting for a formal declaration of the withdrawal of the suit by the Bayelsa Court which curiously appears reluctant to sit on such a simple issue that can easily be disposed of even without a formal sitting.
A resolution sent to the President of the NFF through the General Secretary and signed by the Chairman of Gombe State
FA, Yakubu Sarma, on behalf of a majority of the Congress members, however warned the NFF that the Congress will take necessary action if the AGA did not take place as scheduled.
The letter reads in part: “That the deadline demanding for the vacation of the ex parte order and notice of AGA from the Executive committee have elapsed.
“That the under listed Congress members are yet to receive any response from the Executive committee.
“That failure to act by the expiration of this notice shall lead to the next line of action.”
Apart from the FA chairmen from the 37 states in the Congress, we also have one representative each from the NPFL, NWFL, NNL, NLO, Referees’ Body, Players Union and the coaches Union.
President of the Players Union, Harrison Jalla, speaking on the forthcoming election, stressed that it was only the NFF President Pinnick who can make the first move of calling for a meeting.
“The law suit is Bayelsa has been vacated and so the NFF has no excuse to elongate this current tenure. I am aware of a letter sent to the board and if they fail to call for AGA, we will invoke Article 29 of the NFF Status which allows majority of the Congress to also call for the AGA,” Jalla, one of the Congress members said.
That the current board is tilting toward tenure elongation is a big subject of discuss among football stakeholders as the NFF has also been adamant about a template to provide information leading to a transition for the election.
“We should be talking about time table and guidelines but there is nothing to say while those interested are also hanging in the balance because of the disposition of current board,” our source added.
It will be recalled that the Federal Government through the Ministry of Sports has also come out strong to insist that the NFF elections should take place as expected in September.
