Councils/FAs Elections: What is Kano FA hiding?

The very time the Kano State Football Association is adamant and playing tricks with the directives of  the headquarters of the nation’s apex football governing body, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to all State Football Associations in the country to conduct Councils/FAs elections, some states have gone far and doing all they can to beat the NFF’s deadline.

In my previous write-ups, I told my readers that other state football associations like  Kwara State Football Association, Bauchi State Football Association and Edo State Football Associations have already set the ball rolling with plans to conduct new elections and elect new members on advanced stages.

Last week I was intimated that another set of State Football Associations have followed suit and have gone very far too with elections preparations. Those states include Oyo State FA, Gombe FA and Nassarawa State FA.

Oyo State FA made their decision known to the public in a communique issued at the end of its Extra Ordinary General Assembly held on Monday 24th April, 2023 at Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, Ibadan, Oyo state.

The congress among other things appointed the following eminent personalities as 2023 OYSFA Electoral and Election Appeal Committees as follows:-

In the Election Electoral Committee Mr Abdulrahmon Abiola Ahmed  Esq. is to serve as  chairman while  Dr. Rasheed Mutairu Akande,  Mr. Adewale Tijani,   Mr. Alagbe Toyese and Mr. Kehinde Adebayo Ojelowo are members.

In the Election Appeal Committee, There is Mr. Segun Agbaje Esq. to head the committee while  Alhaji Raji Fatai Adebayo,  Mr. Mosobalaje Kayode Adebiyi  and Mr. Kehinde Adebayo Ojelowo are members.

Similarly, in compliance with the same directives of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the Nasarawa State Football Association has inaugurated a six-man election committee to prepare for the state’s football association elections.

The committee, which is chaired by Barr. Maji Dalhatu, comprises Mr Adamu Mohammed (Boss), Arc. Umar Shittu, Ibrahim Musa Andafu, Ja’afaru Bobori, and the current Nasarawa State FA secretary, Abdulhamid Babarabi, who will serve as the committee’s secretary.

In addition, a four-man appeal committee was also inaugurated with Barr. Madugu Mohammed as Chairman, Abdulazeez Ibiwoye Alakija, and Sallau Ado Tanimu as members while the assistant FA secretary Blessing David will serve as the secretary.

Alhaji Mohammed Alkali, the Nasarawa State FA Chairman, assured the media that the committee members were tested and trusted, and would be given the necessary support to succeed in their respective roles.

He also stated that the election procedures would be transparent and that credibility had been prioritized above all else in the organization of the upcoming elections.

 “We have done our part, and we will wait for the election committee to draw out the guidelines for the upcoming elections,” he said. “Our goal is to move the state FA to the next level, and we are committed to achieving this.”

In another development, the Gombe State Football Association had also announced that it will hold its elective congress on the 10th of June 2023.

The announcement was made during its General Assembly held at the FA’s office at the Pantami Stadium complex on Tuesday 11th April, 2023.

Football stakeholders, affiliated bodies, the FA were in attendance at the congress including, (Coaches Association, Referees Association, NPFL Clubs Association, Nationwide League Forum, State League Forum, etc).

Just before the commencement of the Congress the newly elected Local Football Council executives were inaugurated and presented with their certificates.

In the Electoral Committee, the congress approved Alh.Abubakar Mohammed Maina as chairman while Barr.Robert Obida, Mal Seyoji Mohammed kumo, Ishaya Usman and Alh. Shuaibu Saidu Sarkin Kaji to serve as members.

In the Appeal Committee, Barr.Caleb Ubale is the head while Barr.Yau Hussani and Mal Shamsudeen Balarabe are members.

From the above, one can see the readiness and commitment of some state Football Associations to do what is right and needful but not for Kano FA.

I could remember drawing the attention of the Kano State Football Association twice in my write ups to do what is expected because their tenure had since expired so they should conduct fresh elections in both the FA and all the Local Councils in the state without delay as directed by NFF.

But up to now the Kano Football Association (KSFA) is adamant with NFF directives and not doing anything to this regard.

As I pointed before, the NFF directives was to usher in fresh and agile individuals within with a genuine interest in the game of soccer and fresh ideas to move the round leather game forward in their different localities.

And I also recalled forwarding a number of recommendations to the executives of the Kano State Football Association, KSFA which if they have listened and adopted by now the story of elections in both Councils and FA will be different.

To me, the directives from the above and numerous recommendations I forwarded to the FA should have been listened to by doing the right thing so that every stakeholder will be free and have an armful opportunity to participate in the electioneering process of the FA elections.

It is a fact that most of us see the delay as a total disregard and disobedience of Nigeria Football Federation orders which will never augur well to neither the association nor the state in the long run.

We are all aware that time is passing and there is nothing on the ground to show their readiness to do as NFF directed. I wonder what they are delaying to do what some states mentioned above have done. 

Why and what are they delaying or hiding for? Why this lackadaisical attitude towards doing the right thing? The FA needs to act past to avoid inviting crises into it with their games.

I recalled reminding the FA that these are the similar styles that are dipping them into crisis after every election in the past which they must shun.

Kano FA should understand that stakeholders are expecting nothing from them rather than organizing or conducting credible elections in the state.

They must do the right thing to avoid putting the association into crisis. They should be open and transparent in what they are doing to run away from the post elections crisis and litigation.

The FA must be a good learner from its past mistakes which made those that will be short changed in the process to go to court and seek for redress.

It is only by doing the right thing that the outcome of the result of their elections will be accepted by those that have participated in the process.

It is for sure that if the FA failed to do the right thing, they should expect peoples’ revolt.

By now if the Kano FA is serious, sincere and wants to be transparent, they ought to have put an election process to conduct the State FA and LG Councils congresses throughout the state as others did.

It is a fact that if the FA did what is right and expected from them, nobody will think of any foul play talk less of considering seeking redress from court of law.

Honestly, I still wondered why Kano is lagging behind.

Kano FA should remember that the state is about to have a new set of people and different ideologies as leaders which have a lot before them.

 So the FA should not welcome them with an unwarranted crisis created by their unseriousness.