Jubilation Greets Pinnick Vow Not To Run As NFF President Wonders Why He’s Hated

Staffers at the NFF secretariat in Abuja as well as various Stakeholders jubilated when Amaju Pinnick went on national television today to restate his promise not to contest the next NFF Elections, but the NFF President himself said he is baffled by the hatred towards him.

Pinnick was a guest of Arise Television Monday morning.

It was on the same TV station some months ago that he made his now famous declaration that he will not run for a third term as NFF President due to pressure by his family.

Today, he restated this vow.

“No, No (for a third term), I’m fine. There are so many Nigerians who are capable. I will assist, I will work with them,” he said.

“I will work whoever emerges as President of Nigeria Football Federation . That’s my promise.

“I will intervene, but not to interfere in the running (of Nigeria Football).”

In the interview, he blamed his unpopularity on mere hatred.

“I am hated for no reason,” he complained.

“In the last eight years, it has been one battle after the other.”

His interviewers were probably ill-prepared to follow up on this by asking him about the weighty corruption allegations against him and his top officials running into over 30 Billion Naira and why he is not willing to go before the court to clear his family name.

He refused to discuss until “an appropriate time” his personal relationship with Sports Minister Sunday Dare, who has insisted NFF Elections go ahead next month as stipulated by the NFF Statutes.

However, he still took a jibe at the Minister when he insisted that he is in charge of “association football” and not “government football”.

He defended his stewardship during which Nigeria Football has regressed to the huge disappointment of many millions.

“We’ve done our best, but our best may not have been good enough,” he admitted.