The NFF have made it clear that they are backing the bid of Ahmad Ahmad who is also the president of the Madagascar FA.
The Federal Government have mandated the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to back Issa Hayatou ahead of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) elections on Thursday, March 16.
The NFF have made it clear that they are backing the bid of Ahmad Ahmad who is also the president of the Madagascar FA.
After agreeing on the support of Ahmad, the Sports Ministry led by Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung have made a U-turn telling the NFF to back Hayatou instead.
Dalung has revealed that he is been directed by the Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to communicate to the NFF that they can only vote for Hayatou because of Nigeria’s relationship with Cameroon.
“And the ‘then’ Acting President- Prof. Yemi Osinbajo directed which I have communicated appropriately, that if the only vote that will come to Hayatou will be from Nigeria, Nigerians should stand with Hayatou,” Dalung said while speaking to reporters in Abuja.
“For the presidency of CAF, when I invited them, I told them Nigeria’s position is to vote in favour of her national interest.
“And not too long ago, the federal government made categorically clear her position.
“And the position of the federal government of Nigeria is that, in view of the fact that Cameroon has been a major key player in the war against insurgency and the involvement of Cameroon in fighting for the stability of Nigeria, it will be out of the foreign policy context of Nigeria to abandon Cameroon.
“That it is outside our foreign policy, because we are not looking at football, but we are looking at the country Nigeria, what does Nigeria stand to benefit if it moves to the opposite direction?”
After NFF president, Pinnick went public with his support for Pinnick, he was called into a meeting with the Sports Minister where his backing of the Madagascar FA boss was endorsed.
Pinnick’s decision to publicly backed Ahmad has however been criticised by a host of football personalities.
Top Nigerian football administrator, Paul Bassey accused Pinnick of not consulting with other Nigerian football administrators before going public with his support for Ahmad while the sports minister Dalung before that meeting had said it was the personal decision of the NFF boss and do not represent the position of the government and people of Nigeria.
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