NFF crisis: August elections cancelled

The crisis rocking the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) seems to be growing deeper as the elections scheduled to hold at the body’s General Assemby on August 26, 2014 has been cancelled.

Speaking yesterday, a day after a section of the body’s national secretariat in Abuja was gutted by fire, the General Secetary, Barr. Musa Amadu asked Nigerians to disregard a statement by the Chairman of NFF Electoral Committee, Mr. Amoni Biambo, which stated that elections into the NFF Executive Committee will hold at the General Assembly scheduled to take place in Warri, Delta State, on Tuesday, August 26.

His words: “The statement must have been made in error. As far as the NFF is concerned, there will be no elections at the General Assembly of Tuesday, 26th August. There is a proposal that we are taking to the General Assembly (the supreme body of Nigeria football) for consideration and approval, with regards to the elections. It is for the NFF and the General Assembly to propose the date for elections, not that of the Electoral Committee, which was put in place by the General Assembly”

Amadu said that the proposal will see to the elections being conducted about two weeks after the assembly, on FIFA’s advice.

He said: “The elections will definitely take place in early September, 2014. All hands are on deck to ensure that we hold the elections not later than two weeks after the Congress on Tuesday, to usher in a new Executive Committee of NFF.

“What the NFF is concerned with, even before a similar advice by FIFA, is to ensure an open and transparent process that will guarantee a level –playing field for everyone. Every person eligible to purchase form and contest the elections should be able to do so, and the process must be one that dovetails into credible, free and fair elections, that will stand the test of time, devoid of challenges by aggrieved persons that will affect the smooth running of the NFF by the incoming Executive Committee.”

The NFF scribe also explained that delegates to Tuesday’s General Assembly will be the same delegates who were at the November 2013 General Assembly in the same city, except where there have been statutory changes.

“For example, the unbanning of Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi and Mr. Chidi Ofor Okenwa means these persons will represent Osun and Enugu States respectively, as Chairmen of their State FA. Other than these two, the roll –call remains the same” he explained.