It is unbelievable that anything else but the welfare and fate of the Super Eagles should occupy the mind and attention of all Nigerians and, particularly, the present board of the Nigeria Football Association. One would have thought that given the poor ride of the Super Eagles in a lot of ways before qualification and since then up to arriving Johannesburg last Wednesday, the NFA would not create an unnecessary distraction for itself.  The NFA appear to be infected with an infection of scandals as they stumble from one avoidable scandalous situation to another. there are the unanswered question of the missing Dollars, the use of over-aged players, the hotel scandal, the botched charter flight, and so on! Even as these occupy the media space and people are complaining that the NFA are not paying enough attention to details in the arrangement for the World Cup, in an act that smacks of desperation, the body decides to stumble on to the process leading to elections into the next board of the NFA. This is to coincide with the matches that would be ongoing at the World Cup. The plan is to use the period of the first two weeks of the World Cup to obtain nomination forms for all those interested to contest, secure endorsements from members associations, submit completed forms, and to attend screening sessions in Abuja! No one would have the time to do those things at that time as all the major participants in the elections will be in South Africa, guests of the NFA!  Of course the NFA is funding the expenses of all of those that will constitute the new electorate empowered by the new members of the electorate in accordance to their doctored statutes that have not been sent to member associations for scrutiny. Yet the electoral guidelines have been released. Obviously this whole contraption is designed to ensure that no contestant outside the incumbent will have easy access to the delegates in South Africa.  As Mumuni Alao explained in his column earlier this week, by the second week of the World Cup, with the process concocted by the present board, no matter how the Eagles perform, Sani Lulu would ‘sail through the elections unopposed and would secure the return of his board for another 4-years term.

We are watching with keen interest how they will carry out this ‘coup’ against the feelings of Nigerians, against the interest of government, against all logic, justice, fair play and morality! Brazenly and illegally the NFA have elongated the tenure of all the State FA Chairmen whose tenures have long expired and who require renewed mandates from their success at Local Government football council and State football association elections to become members of the new General Assembly that has the power to elect a new President.  There must be Local Government football council elections as well as State Football Association elections in all the States and Abuja to determine the new electorate to elect a new Chairman. There is no way the national elections can take place before Local and State Association elections. The NFA has no right or power to extend the tenure of the board of any of its affiliate members whose independence on the matter is without question as clearly stipulated by FIFA in its response to the proposed statutes sent to it! No FIFA approval of any statutes gives the NFA such right or power. Nigerians who must demand an account from the NFA (a government agency by law) after the World Cup for all the funds it is expending to cover these Greek gifts. As genuine stakeholders in football in the country, we shall seek clarification from FIFA for all the issues raised above.

There are too many questions hanging over the NFA that needs to be cleared than for them to plan to make fool of all Nigerians by manipulating their way back to the board without going through the due and legal process. They cannot render government and the Nigerian people impotent to do anything about their national sport.

Why the hurry to do the elections when the World Cup is going on? Is it to forestal a situation where Nigeria’s performance at the World Cup, anyway which way, will not affect their return?

All Nigerians must rise against this shenanigans. This board must be stopped by the people!  No one says the board cannot return, but they must do so through a proper, legal, well constituted and organised election. How can the country as a whole be battling with the issue of reforms in our national electoral process and a small group of people will be perpetrating what amounts to perfidy in the country’s football electoral system?

The World Cup euphoria must not be used as a cover to perpetrate illegality. The Government must demand for equity, justice and accountability in the affairs of its agencies of which the NFA is one. The NFA and all their activities must be properly investigated.

There are other questions outside the elections that must be answered before all Nigerians by the present board of the NFA. Let the NFA allow Nigerians enjoy their World Cup. The elections can come up after the World Cup, not during it! The country has had enough of their bungling and stumbling!