Lulu, Ogunjobi, 10 Others Seek NFF Re-Election

Twelve members of the current Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) are among 26 prospective candidates who have collected forms for the federation’s elections in August.

Already, all the 12 members, including NFF President Sani Lulu and first Vice-President Amanze Uchegbulam, have submitted their nomination forms alongside seven other prospective candidates.

The electoral body had on May 28 released guidelines for the polls while the collection of nomination forms began on June 7.

Between June 8 when the first form was purchased, and June 21, the deadline for the purchase, collection and return of forms, 26 prospective candidates picked the forms.

The other NFF Executive Committee members seeking re-election are Taiwo Ogunjobi, Abubakar Ladan, Obinna Ogba, Stephen Gyebgon, Patrick Ekong, Aminu Maigari, Dominic Iorfa, Shehu Adamu, Peter Singabelle and Taiwo Odebunmi.

Out of the 13 members elected into the 15-member committee of the then Nigeria Football Association (NFA) in August 2006, only Princess Bola Jegede was yet to pick a form as at June 21. 

The remaining member was Alili Galadima who died last February. 

Shehu Adamu, a committee member who has picked a form, was elected onto the committee about a year later.  

Also on the list of those who have collected nomination forms and returned them are Felix Anyansi-Agwu, Chairman of Enyimba International FC of Aba, and Chief Effiong Johnson, the Chairman of Akwa Ibom State Football Association.

Others are Suleyman Muazu, Chris Green and Babagana Kalli who were elected at the December 2005 elections of the then NFA in Kano but whose mandate was withdrawn by the congress in May 2006.

The rest are Sharif Inuwa and Al-Kassim Makoda, both from Kano State, while the likes of Aisha Falode and Ayo Omidiran, a former NFA board member, are among the seven yet to return their forms as at the initial deadline.

Meanwhile, the 2010 NFF Electoral Committee has decided to extend the return of forms by two weeks, ending by 6 p.m. on July 5, “in the spirit of fairness, equity and clear conscience’’.

Mr Abdulhakeem Mustapha, Chairman of the Electoral Committee, who disclosed this in Abuja while giving a mid-term update on the Aug. 21 polls, said the extension would give other Nigerians the chance to participate.

“We have done this in view of the fact that this is a World Cup year.

“It is in line with our vow to Nigerians that we will provide an equal playing ground for all interested candidates in this election.

“We are aware that some candidates complained that they were unable to get members of the NFF that would endorse their forms.

“Now, we believe that two weeks is a reasonable period for any serious person to get appropriate nomination and endorsement,’’ Mustapha said.

The Electoral Committee Chairman said his committee had critically examined the guidelines of the NFF Electoral Code to ensure there was no violation, before arriving at the decision.

He, however, said that those who collected their forms before June 21 remain eligible to still return their forms on or before 6 p.m. on July 5 to the committee’s secretariat.

The committee is expected to make public on July 12 the names of qualified candidates for the elections.