Maigari may shift general election

There seem to be no end to the crisis rocking the Nigerian Football Federation, as the Chief Mike Umeh-led Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) board yesterday shunned the meeting convened by Alhaji Aminu Maigari, insisting that they won’t recognize his leadership.

Chief Umeh had stormed the Glass House yesterday to deliver the resolutions of his faction to the Maigari-led board, stating emphatically that they won’t be part of the meeting presided over by Maigari.

Among other resolutions in the unsigned one page paper, the Umeh faction stressed: “Aminu Maigari remains provisionally dismissed. The position of the NFF Executive Committee in respect to its recent decision remains unchanged.

“The Executive Committee appreciates the efforts of the Hon. Minister of Sports at reconciling the football family. However, the advice of the Hon. Minister in asking Aminu Maigari to return to office is a clear violation of the NFF/CAF/FIFA statutes, as there are procedures to that effect.

“The Hon. Minister’s intervention in this impasse was earlier communicated to FIFA, as government interference by Aminu Maigari, this led to the initial FIFA suspension on Nigeria. Therefore, Aminu Maigari’s pretense of having returned to office on the minister’s advice is a direct call on FIFA to now ban Nigeria for government interference, “the unsigned paper noted.

However, the Maigari board comprising eight board members including Dilichukwu Onyedimmna who was hitherto on the other side and Barrister Leye Adepoju met separately and took far-reaching decisions.

In a communique read by the spokesperson of the board, Emeka Inyama, the board raised doubt on the possibility of holding the general election on August 26.

Announcing that the initial venue of Warri, Delta State, still stands in addition to retaining the electoral committee, the board noted: “In view of the prevailing circumstances in Nigeria football, there is the need to present a new roadmap leading to elections into the NFF Executive Committee, for consideration and approval by the General Assembly being the supreme body of Nigeria football, at the Congress slated for Tuesday, 26th August, 2014 in Warri, Delta State.

“The Executive Committee reiterated that the General Assembly of 26th August, 2014 will be composed of the delegates to the 2013 General Assembly in Warri, including those from Plateau and Yobe State Football Associations.

“In the spirit of fair-play, leading to the elections, all persons banned for various length of time, are hereby unbanned. These persons are: Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi, Mr. Adedapo Lam-Adesina, Mr. Chikelue Iloanusi and Mr. Harrison Jalla. Committee noted that the ban on Mr. Ahmed Shuaib Gara-Gombe had long been lifted.

“The Executive Committee advised all football stakeholders to refrain from actions capable of causing division and acrimony in Nigeria football.

“In line with the letter from world football –governing body, FIFA, of Thursday, 14th August, 2014, members of both the Electoral Committee and Electoral Appeals Committee earlier removed will be re-admitted at the Tuesday, 26th August, 2014 Congress to continue with their electoral duties.

“Executive Committee agreed that having only come into office in January 2012, the boards of the Nigeria National League, Nigeria Women’s League and the Nigeria Nationwide League have two more years to go before their elections, and this will be presented to the Congress of 26th August, 2014 for approval.”

Meanwhile, a member of the Umeh faction had faulted the inclusion of Hon. Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande among the board members in attendance during the meeting chaired by Maigari yesterday, arguing that he did not attend the meeting since he is still with them.

“They don’t want to tell Nigerians the reality of the situation. How can they claim that Kwande attended the meeting, when he was on the way back to Abuja from Jos during the meeting? It would have been more honourable to claim that he took permission,” the board member told our correspondent in confidence.