The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Monday inaugurated its newly elected Electoral and Electoral Appeals Committees, with emphasis on credible, transparent and fair elections ringing through the inauguration hall.
It would be recalled that at Saturday’s Extraordinary General Assembly in Warri, the Congress had, in line with a FIFA directive, elected persons into a new NFF Electoral Committee and also into a new NFF Electoral Appeals Committee, while setting Tuesday, September 30, 2014 as date for elections into a new NFF Executive Committee.
In Abuja on Monday, NFF President, Aminu Maigari, who was away at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland for a meeting of FIFA Players’ Status Committee, was represented by Executive Committee member, Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande. There were also Executive Committee members Yusuf Ahmed ‘Fresh’ and Ahmad Muazu Kawu.
“The overriding importance of free and fair, and very credible elections cannot be overemphasised. The General Assembly has put this onerous responsibility on your shoulders because they believe you are persons of integrity, and the NFF also has faith in your ability to deliver,” Yahaya-Kwande stated.
The new NFF Electoral Committee is composed of Samson Ebomhe, M. T. Ahmed, Adamu Sani Osmond, Sadiq Yusuf Zaria, Reverend Onyeaghala Obioma, Adeola Adelanwa, Sani Dahiru Yakassai, Sarah Jumoke Adebisi and Awwal Abdullahi. The secretary is Musa Amadu, who also doubles as NFF’s General Secretary.
Also, the new NFF Electoral Appeals Committee is composed of Okey Ajunwa, Dotun Coker and Mallam Sani Mohammed. Substitute members are Victor Nwangwu and Bala Garba. The secretary is Mohammed Sanusi, NFF’s Director of Competitions.
Responding, Ebomhe and Ajunwa used the opportunity to declare their readiness to do a thorough job, with credible and transparent elections as the bedrock.
Ebomhe also used the opportunity to unveil a roadmap, saying that sale of forms, nomination and return of the forms would be from Monday, 22nd September to Wednesday, 24th September, with screening and final list of candidates to emerge on Thursday, 25th September and protests/appeals to be heard on Friday, 26th September.
“I also want to let it be known that all those who have previously been cleared for the elections need no fresh clearance. All they need to do is indicate their willingness to be involved in the elections. However, there is opportunity now for those who were previously not involved to become involved,” he added.
