Barring any last-minute changes, state Football Association (FA) chairmen may hold an emergency meeting in Katsina to deliberate on and adopt a common position on the current crisis bedevilling Nigerian football.
The Independent Mirror reports that the impeccable sources informed this reporter that efforts are underway to convince a good number of state FA chairmen to travel to Katsina for the final match of the Ahlan/Gusau Pre-Season Cup, where they would have the opportunity to deliberate and strategise on how to confront what they described as interference in football administration by the National Sports Commission (NSC), led by Shehu Dikko.
The source said: “Consultations have been made with friendly and heavyweight state FA chairmen to attend the Ahlan/Gusau Pre-Season Tournament final taking place in Katsina next Thursday.
They would be given an opportunity to deliberate on the situation and fashion out a strategy. Some assigned persons are working on the planned meeting, and the responses have been very positive.” according SahelSports newspaper.
The source added: “I can tell you that a good number of the FA chairmen have been reached out to, and they have given their word that they will be in Katsina for the Gusau Cup final.
The platform will be used to discuss what is currently going on, particularly what they described as moves by Dikko and Olopade to unseat them.
“Most of the chairmen are strongly convinced that if the NSC puts in place the planned Normalisation Committee, then the state FA chairmen will be gone for good.
“Let me tell you, the majority of the FA chairmen believe that they are being deliberately targeted by Shehu Dikko, who is bent on paying them back for voting against him during the last NFF elections, where he lost to the incumbent, Ibrahim Gusau.
The Normalisation Committee is simply an idea conceived by Dikko and Olopade to remove them from office and plant their loyalists.”
The source further warned: “Serious underground efforts and consultations are ongoing within the Gusau camp to bring the chairmen and top football stakeholders, especially from the North-West and North-Central zones, to meet in Katsina.
If not all of them, those among them who have a strong voice and command significant influence in the system are expected to meet in Katsina as a show of force and also to strategise on how to stop the storm that is threatening to send them out of office.”
When contacted, a football power broker in the North-West, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “The invitation of state FA chairmen to the opening and closing ceremonies of the Gusau/Ahlan Cup is a tradition.
You journalists may read meanings into it this time, perhaps because of the situation we have found ourselves in, but let’s keep our fingers crossed. Football interference is something nobody is ready to allow to happen.”
Another source said: “It is true that the idea of seeing if the chairmen can meet in Katsina was discussed, but I doubt if the arrangement is still intact and strong, considering what is happening.
Since we heard that the NSC has the strong backing of the Federal Government, Nigerians are also not happy. Going to Katsina may not augur well.”
Nigerian football was thrown into further turmoil following the Super Falcons’ quarter-final defeat at the just-concluded WAFCON, where they suffered a 1-0 loss to the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon.
On the same day, Nigeria’s U-20 side, the Flying Eagles, also failed to book their place in the African Youth Championship after losing 4-0 to the Junior Stallions of Burkina Faso.
The results sparked widespread backlash from millions of Nigerians, including opposition politicians.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) was scheduled to go to the polls in September to elect a new set of leaders who would pilot the affairs of the federation for another four-year term.
The National Sports Commission (NSC), the country’s sports governing body, has reportedly directed that the election be put on hold pending further directives.
Efforts to reach both sides for confirmation were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
