NIGERIA IN DILEMMA OVER ADAMU'S REPLACEMENT IN CAF, FIFA

By NBF News


Following the disgraceful suspension of Amos Adamu from the executive committee of both the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and FIFA, Nigeria may well lose out on presenting a candidate for either seat before Monday's deadline for the submission of nominations.

It was gathered that officials are now in a dilemma over presenting another personality for the elections after Adamu opted to launch an appeal against his three-year ban for breaching its code of ethics in a cash-for-vote scandal.

'It's a very tough one,' admitted an official. 'We only have till Monday (today) to present a nomination for the seats on the executive committees of both CAF and FIFA. This is also against the backdrop that Adamu has launched an appeal against his ban.

'It may be viewed as a vote of no confidence should Nigeria go ahead and present another candidate for the elections in Khartoum in February.'

Another official revealed that Adamu has been approached to see reason why another man should be presented for the elections. 'We support Adamu's quest to seek complete justice, but at the same time, many of us do not see how the FIFA suspension of Adamu will be dismissed altogether, at best he could get a shorter ban and by then the elections may well have come and gone with Nigeria not having a chance to stake a claim for his position,' the official said.

Several CAF committee members already representing Nigeria have been mentioned to now be nominated for the CAF and FIFA polls in Sudan next year. They include: Sani Lulu (organising committee for inter-club competitions); Dominic Oneya (organising committee for African Cup of Nations); Amanze Uchegbulam (board of appeal) and Mike Itemuagbor (marketing committee).

Others are: Bolaji Ojo-Oba (organising committee African Youth Championships); Adeboye Onigbinde (technical and development committee); Linus Mba (referees' committee) and Aisha Falode (media committee). Ironically, Adamu was the chairman of the CAF committee for ethics and fair-play, among several other standing committees.

'We have some capable persons who the government could now support all the way to get on, at least, the CAF exco,' another official disclosed. Already, Ghana FA President, Kwesi Nyantakyi, Jacques Anouma of the Ivory Coast FA and South Africa's Danny Jordaan, have submitted their candidature for the elections.

The FIFA suspension has meant that Adamu and Mali's Amadou Diakite have lost their places on the CAF executives as well as Slim Aloulou from Tunisia, who is a co-opted executive member.