NFF Election Holds In Warri

Taiwo Adelu

The Elective Congress into Nigeria`s embattled football federation holds today in Warri, Delta State.

As at the time of going to press, the election which was supposed to start by 10a.m, could not hold until few minutes to 1p.m when delegates for the polls were seen coming into the hall of Golden Tulip Hotel, Warri, venue of the elections. AfricanFootball.com had reported on its website that the Electoral Committee chairman, Barister Samson Ebomhe, who is saddled with the responsibility of conducting an acceptable election, was allegedly whisked away by men of the State Security Services (SSS) at his hotel room in Warri.

Though the electoral committee yesterday announced that no withdrawals by candidates will be entertained and that all seven presidential candidates have been cleared for the polls, there are strong indications that one of the candidates jostling to succeed NFF president, Aminu Maigari, Shehu Dikko, might have been pressured to dump his ambition by the powers that be, which prevented him from entering Warri since yesterday.

However, Amaju Pinnick, the Delta State Football Association boss, is believed to have been favoured to take over from Maigari at the end of the election today.

Sources in Warri revealed when it became apparent that Dikko might not contest for the election again, the delegates were wooed to shift camp to Pinnick who has the support of his governor, Emmauel Uduaghan. of Delta State.

Pinnick had told the congress before the election that he would not only market the football house to the world, but expose, within a very short time, Nigerian coaches to regular training to enable them meet up with the trend all over the world.

Seven people are contesting for one of the toughest jobs in African football, but Maigari, whose time as NFF president has been controversial, has ruled himself out of the race.