A former Chairman of the Nigeria Premier League, NPL (now Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL) Mr Rumson Victor Baribote has carpeted embattled Nigeria Football Federation, NFF President, Mr Amaju Pinnick on lack of time and commitment to conduct the federation’s election next two months.
The second tenure of Mr Pinnick terminates on September 20 but the former CAF first Vice President is reportedly reluctant to call for a congress in preparatory for the election.
But Mr Baribote, a legal practitioner, has questioned Pinnick’s alleged “lack of time” posture positing that the system that first brought him into power in 2014 was not holistic.
Mr Baribote in an interview wondered how Mr Pinnick could turn around to condemn a system he is a beneficiary of.
“Giwa election was held on the 26th day of August, 2014 and that of Amaju was on the 20th day of September 2014.
“It was a new electoral committee headed by Muhammed Sanni Katu not the one chaired by Amoni Biambo that was appointed by the congress in November, 2013 in Warri that conducted the Amaju election. Rather it was the new electoral committee that was appointed 10 days after the Giwa election. So from 26th of August 2014 to 20th day of September, 2014 when Amaju election was conducted, one does not need a calculator to know that it was less than one month.
“So, one begins to wonder if really as alleged, Amaju wrote a letter complaining about time frame. Some people are not good students of history. You cannot benefit from a process and turn around to condemn that same process that produced you,” he stated.
Over the weekend, report emerged that Mr Pinnick who despite claims that he would not contest for a 3rd in office, wrote to the Nigeria’s secret security agency, the DSS on why the NFF Elections slated for September cannot hold.
It was reported that Pinnick argued that there would not be enough time to make reforms as ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari before the polls in September.
It is also alleged that the NFF President claimed both FIFA and CAF are very much aware of the lack of time to amend the Statutes as it concerns the composition of the NFF Congress.
Last month, President Buhari through a letter signed by Sports Minister Sunday Dare ordered the NFF to make the NFF Congress more representative before elections into the NFF Executive Committee. The directive had rattled the incumbent president, Amaju Pinnick’s 3rd bid.
Should election into the NFF Executive Board not held on or before September 20th, world football governing body, FIFA would set up a normalisation committee to oversee the affairs of the country’s football for a period of time.
Pinnick’s tenure will terminate on September 20, 2022.