SPORTS: Supporters Club shuns Minister, NFF, insists on Lagos for election

SUPPORTERSHIP… Members of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club doing what they know best to do.

By Patrick Omorodion 

The Nigeria Football Supporters Club, NFSC has insisted that its election fixed for December 10, 2016 will go ahead in Lagos as scheduled in defiance to a directive by the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF which wrote to ask that it be moved to Abuja as ordered by the Youth and Sports minister, Solomon Dalung. 

Deputy President General of the Club and a member of the Electoral Committee, Alhaji Waheed Aderenle Yusuf told the media at the Club’s secretariat in Lagos yesterday that “the request by the minister to shift the election to Abuja is uncalled for because Abuja is not suitable for us and more over, Lagos is our headquarters.” 

Alhaji Yusuf stressed that “we(the NFSC) have always done our election in Lagos. We have 250 delegates coming for the election and have made adequate arrangement for the election”, adding that the election was postponed earlier on the request of the NFF to allow it mediate between the factions of the Club.

 

He added that “we (the NFSC) are registered with the CAC (Corporate Affairs Commission) and just partners with the NFF and not under them.” Meanwhile, the key figure in the crisis that threatened to tear the NFSC apart, Vincent Okumagba may have ruled himself out of the election as he failed to pick a form for the election for the post of National Chairman at the close of the deadline set by the electoral committee even after the deadline was shifted three times to allow him do so. 

Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Elder Ademola Bankole who disclosed this yesterday, said that only two candidates namely, Alhaji Oladunjoye Aromire and Rev. Samuel Ikpea submitted forms for the position of National Chairman. 

Alhaji Bankole disclosed that “Accreditation of delegates and election will commence from 10am and end by 2pm on Saturday, December 10 at the Media Centre of the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos and only financial members who have stayed up to three years can vote and be voted for.” 

A total of 29 aspirants were cleared for the 20 positions to be contested for with Kunle Adeniyi and Victor Olowu contesting for the position of secretary.