Who Are Those Who Have Got Pinnick To Dare Mr President?

Even with a much-awaited corruption trial hanging over him, Amaju Pinnick has had the audacity to take on President Muhammadu Buhari over recent directives ahead of the NFF Elections in September.

President Buhari has ordered that the NFF Congress be expanded to accommodate more stakeholders and that elections into the NFF Executive Committee be held in September.

September 20, 2022, is the terminal date for the NFF under Pinnick.

A very senior NFF official described the President’s directives as “an invitation to anarchy”.

And Pinnick in a demonised attempt to go for a third term in office has already declared an open war against President Buhari and Sports Minister Sunday Dare notwithstanding a quick-fire press statement that struggled to put up a laboured personal defence for him after his dogs in the media had already gone to town.

 It is an open secret that Pinnick has enjoyed the support of some top Government officials despite leading Nigeria Football through eight dark, turbulent years.

Pinnick has also clung to power with the co-operation of the NFF Executive Committee and remnants of the NFF Congress, whose majority has been taken up by those who prefer to be known as “Concerned FA Chairmen”.

 Second Vice President Shehu Dikko (LMC Chairman), Mohammed Alkali (Chairman NLO), Obinna Ogba (Chairman NNL), Aisha Falode (Chairman NWFL) owe their appointments on the Executive Committee to Pinnick and it is therefore understandable why their “loyalty”.

First Vice President Seyi Akinwunmi has endured a cat-and-mouse relationship with his good friend Amaju, but it seems the battle line could now be sharply drawn between the two men after it was alleged that the FIFA Council Member replaced the Lagos FA boss with his new-found love Ibrahim Gusau, who is the Chairman of Chairmen and who recently declared his interest in the NFF Presidency.

From what is left of the NFF Congress, the FA Chairmen of Plateau, Kogi, Abia, Taraba, Bauchi, Sokoto and Delta have sworn their allegiance to Pinnick.

The Bauchi FA boss and former international Patrick Pascal cannot afford to move against Pinnick as he is also the Co-ordinator of the Super Eagles.

Executive Committee Member and Chairman of the powerful NFF Technical Committee Ahmed Yusuf ‘Fresh’  has kept in control of some of these mentioned FA Chairmen for the NFF President, but the question now is  – for how long can he continue to do so?

In many ways, the Executive Committee is in the same boat with Pinnick, that is they sink or swim together.

But even at that some of these Excos may beg to differ…