Eight names outside of the NFF Board that could make an impact if they contest for NFF Presidency :: All Nigeria Soccer

For Nigerian football to move forward, the usual suspects must give way for people with passion and particularly those who understand the business of sports administration in Nigeria and with sound knowledge of the country’s corporate terrain if we must make an appreciable impact in the post Amaju Pinnick era.

Football administration needs loads of cash and no one can tell us he or she can make the NFF to be independent of the Ministry of Youth and Sports as that is not going to be possible for now so let’s deal with the open truth.

Interestingly, most of those who are qualified to run Nigerian football appropriately are not even interested in getting close to Sunday Dankaro House.

Here are eight names outside of the Board of the Nigeria Football Federation who could make the much needed impact if they will agree to contest for the NFF Presidency.

Alhaji Shuaibu Gara Gombe

The former Chairman of Gombe State Football Association has not shown any interest to get even close to the Sunday Dankaro House but he has been identified as someone who has the tenacity to take Nigerian Football to the next level.

But the truth is that if Gara Gombe becomes NFF chief several people may go to jail as he is a no-nonsense incorruptible and very blunt individual.

The former military governor of Borno State who later became Chairman of the Nigeria Football Association, and then Chairman of the West Africa Football Union as well as Katsina United at a time might be an old man but his passion for football never dies.

After all Julio Grondona was President of the Argentina Football Association from 1979 until his death in 2014.

The former banker is a distinguished administrator who has been within the corridors of sports administration for several years and very experienced. He is the immediate past Chairman of Adamawa United Football Club of Yola.

Victor Rumson Baribote

A former professional footballer who played the game home and abroad, a one time Vice-President of the Nigeria Football Federation and Chairman of the Nigeria Professional Football League Board which metamorphosed into the League management Company.

Distinguished former Nigeria international footballer who the so-called stakeholders have contrived to shut out for a long time.

A former Coach of the national teams and very sound former Secretary-General of the NFF.

Anthony Kojo Williams

A former chairman of the then Nigeria Football Association (NFA) now Nigeria Football Federation (NFF); however, his tenure did not last more than three months on account of what many say was his arrogance and high-handedness, for which he was impeached by the board members.

In the election that brought him to the glass house, William, who was the youngest ever to have occupied that coveted position, defeated a much older and experienced Col. Abdulmumini Aminu (rtd.) to secure the seat.

The man, who has been absent from the national scene since his removal as NFA chairman is a man of colourful character and vast means.

Barely three months after his ascendancy to the exalted position of the NFA chairman which was supervised by the Federal Government in a highly-controlled elections in Abuja, the same elements that saw to his victory which costs millions of government money ensured his speedy removal from office in a grand design well masterminded by top government sports technocrats who bowed to the pressure from within and without to save the future of the country’s football following a despotic and obnoxious reign by the young NFA chairman.

It was however later revealed that Williams had lofty ideas to move Nigerian football forward but was not ready to give in to corrupt practices and as a result was tagged uncontrollable and removed.

Ferdinand Mbum