By Abah Andrew, ABUJA
The Amaju Pinnick-led Board of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has rejected the advice of the Sports Ministry to recognise Senator Ifeanyi Ubah as the authentic Chairman of the Anambra Football Association.
After thorough deliberation at the Executive Committee Board Meeting held at the NFF secretariat, Abuja, the board appreciated the intervention of the Minister, Sunday Dare, in resolving the crisis but pointedly said that the decision taking by the NFF is in line with its statute in setting up the Anambra FA Caretaker Committee as the petitioner (Ifeanyi Ubah) was a beneficiary of the same process.
NFF, therefore, directed that the Anambra FA election process should go ahead as planned.
“While appreciating the advice of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development on the issue of the Anambra State Football Association, the Executive Committee noted that it was not only bound by Association Football protocols and the principles of fairness but also by the supremacy of the NFF Statutes.
“It noted that the constitution of a caretaker committee is very much in order, and that in line with the NFF Statutes and furtherance of the protocols and principles mentioned, the process for election of the Anambra State FA Board had to go ahead as planned.
“The Executive Committee recalled that the emergence of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, who had written the petition to the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, as Chairman of Anambra State FA, arose under similar circumstances of an election conducted by a caretaker arrangement.
“It further reiterated that the NFF Statutes have adequate provisions for any aggrieved party to ventilate any complain”
