Festus Abu
The Nigeria Football Federation President Amaju Pinnick will learn his fate during the federation’s emergency meeting with sports minister Solomon Dalung in Abuja on Tuesday.
Pinnick has come under heavy criticism for the past one week after publicly revealing that Nigeria would be giving their vote to Madagascar FA president Ahmad Ahmad in the March 16 Confederation of African Football presidential election.
Ahmad is the sole challenger to incumbent CAF president Issa Hayatou, who is seeking an eighth term in office.
Pinnick’s nomination for the CAF Executive Committee election sparked protests in the NFF, with the federation’s technical committee chairman Chris Green believed to be a major opponent of the former Delta State Sports Commission Chairman.
With the NFF boss battling to deal with dissenting voices from within, nine Nigerian CAF members believed to be Hayatou’s loyalists attacked Pinnick on Monday for revealing who he would vote for in the presidential election in Addis Ababa.
In a statement, Sani Lulu, Aminu Maigari, Dominic Oneya, Amos Adamu, Paul Bassey, Bolaji Ojo-Oba, Amanze Uchegbulam, Aisha Falode and Green, said Pinnick did not consult them before pledging Nigeria’s support for Ahmad.
Our correspondent has learnt that the minister, Dalung, who had questioned Pinnick’s nomination for the election, is also not happy with the NFF’s boss support for Ahmad – and could declare the country’s position on the continental poll in today’s meeting.
It was learnt that NFF members opposed to Pinnick’s bid to become an executive member of the African football ruling body have allegedly joined forces with some of the CAF members, whose positions could be under threat with a an Ahmad victory, to pressure Dalung to back Hayatou.
It was also learnt members of the NFF are working with outside forces for the impeachment of the NFF president.
It was learnt that Pinnick is at a crossroads following the stiff opposition to his choice of candidate in the poll.
Veteran sports journalist Bassey, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone on Monday, criticised Pinnick for his action, saying he should have consulted football stakeholders in the country before declaring Nigeria’s support for Ahmad.
“We are not against his choice of candidate for the election but he should have done so as an individual,” he said.
Spokesperson for the minister Nneka Anibeze, who confirmed that her boss would meet with the NFF board today, said she was not aware of the agenda of the meeting.
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