The President, Worldwide of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club, Dr. Rafiu Ladipo, has called on the Nigerian government to provide the enabling environment for credible elections into the executive committee of the Nigeria Football Federation.
The man who criss-crossed the world with the Nigerian teams called The PUNCH on Sunday afternoon to express his concern over the current situation in the Nigeria football system. The supporters clubs boss said that given the situation on ground now it would take extraordinary effort to produce an NFF president and a board that would be acceptable to Nigerians, FIFA and the rest of the world.
He condemned the system that has continued to frustrate people who eligible to contest while opening the door for just a few without any clear yardstick for clearing them and disqualifying others.
He said, “I and my people have struggled all the while not to speak because of the unique relationship we have with the federation and the national teams; we didn’t want to be seen as supporting any side.
“But the way things have continued to turn out every given day we can no longer be silent as stakeholders. A situation where one candidate is favoured over others will be counterproductive. If the elections are free and fair, Nigeria will be seen in better light and this is our utmost desire. What we demand is that the NFF president must be elected and not selected. Everyone qualified to contest must be allowed to do without threats or intimidation.
“The congress must be allowed to decide which direction we should go and they must decide who leads the NFF and not an unseen hand forcing down somebody on us.”
Ladipo said that he had to make an urgent plea for proper reasoning because of the serious calamity that could befall the country’s football if things are done outside the rules governing football administration across the world.
