NFF Should Resolve Anambra FA Board Puzzle—- Stakeholders News

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NFF Should Resolve Anambra FA Board Puzzle—- Stakeholders

By Goodness Ndukuba, Awka on January 14, 2025

Football stakeholders in Anambra state have called on the Nigeria Football Federal (NFF) to take a stand on who is in charge of the State Football Association.

This became necessary because the last election into the board of the association was conducted on Oct. 31, 2020.

Every board of the FA according to the NFF Statute has a life of four years after which a new election shall be conducted to either renew or remove it via democratic means.

The election produced four members of the 9-man board including Victor Aniekwena, Vice Chairman, Ralph Chiedozie George (member), Oliver Ndigwe(member), Cordelia Alanna (member)

Chikelue Iloenyosi, the sole candidate chairmanship position in the waa not returned immediately because he scored one (YES) vote out of 19 votes cast and did not secure majority of valid votes according to the decision of the Electoral Committee.

Aniekwena who emerged the Vice chairman of the board piloted the affairs of the association with the three others for about two years even though Ndigwe one of the members travelled to Europe almost after the election.

The decision of the electoral committee not to return Iloenyosi did not go down well with him, consequently, he appealed the decision at the NFF.

The NFF did not take a decision on the matter until July 28, 2022 when a circular was issued directing Iloenyosi to assume as the chairman of the board following the upholding of the petition.

This was just before the expiration of the NFF board led by Amaju Pinnick, a move some people considered a parting gift.

Many had expected that a bye election would be elected to fill the vacant five positions to make up the composition of the board following the assumption of Chikelue but that was neither considered nor executed.

Going by the date of its election, the board which is headed by Iloenyosi expired on October 31, 2024 but the NFF has not issued notice of election or made a statement on the status of the board.

However, there are two conflicting but related puzzles in the Anambra FA which only the NFF can resolve if the good people of Anambra must a decent and clear headed football administration which they deserve.

Firstly, given that the board headed by Iloenyosi took life in 2024 with other validly elected members serving on it before he came on board midway, when is it supposed to expire the light of NFF Statute.

Secondly, if the Chairman came on board midway into the board life, is he supposed to serve out the life of the board or serve for four years in that position, thereby elongating the lifespan of the board and violating the statute of NFF.

Assuming but not conceding that the chairman is to serve for four years, will run a one-man board because others who started the race in 2020 have become statute barred.

The stakeholders say this NFF under Ibrahim Gusau should not look away from the Anambra FA debacle but take a definite stand to restore constitutionality in the Anambra FA and avoid setting a precedence that will plunge Nigeria football into crisis.

“All we want is for the NFF to tell us who is in charge of Anambra State FA because constitutionally, there is no valid board and we consider it that football in Anambra is ungoverned," the said.

Source Daily Sports Nigeria

Posted January 14, 2025