Third-term seeking Pinnick won’t meet with FA Chairmen

Outgoing NFF president Amaju Pinnick is interested in a third term according to sources close to the football family.

After Nigeria failed to qualify for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup millions of Nigerians called on Pinnick and other members of the Executive Board of NFF to resign but instead of resigning Pinnick told Nigerians that he will not be seeking a third term.

After Pinnick announced his decision not to seek a third term many candidates like Shehu Dikko, Seyi Akinwunmi, Ibrahim Gusau, and some ex-internationals were said to have shown interest in contesting to be the NFF president but with tension Super Eagles' non-qualification for the World Cup generated now history, Pinnick according to sources feels he is in a good position to sway the NFF General Assembly to give him another term.  

 Meanwhile, all seems not to be between members of the General Assembly and Pinnick.

Top sources at the NFF have revealed that Pinnick is furious and hugely disappointed with the State FA Chairmen who have demanded for a General Assembly and that that is why he will not personally meet with them.

“Pinnick feels seriously betrayed by the FA Chairmen,” an official informed www.insideglasshouse.com

“He cannot understand why some of them who are very close to him failed to sound him out before they signed a notice making ‘useless’ demands on the Executive Committee.

“It’s already common knowledge that he has always had low regard for the Chairmen even before he was elected into office.

“He has now said many of them are ingrates and backstabbers despite all he has done for them to remain relevant in the system.

“That is why he won’t honour them with his presence at a proposed meeting in Abuja.”

Instead, Pinnick has mandated Chairman of Chairmen Ibrahim Gusau and NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi to meet with the aggrieved 28 Congress members.

It was further learnt that nothing will come out of the meeting with the NFF and the representatives of the FA Chairmen as they will be told that the meeting they asked for is not possible because of the exparte order against the federation.

“They will be updated on what the NFF have done to vacate the order and unless that is done, a Congress cannot be called to avoid contempt of court,” another source revealed.

On May, 28 FA Chairmen signed a notice for the NFF to vacate an exparte order that prevents the Congress meeting and also call for a General Assembly.

The majority of Congressmen have threatened to take “the next line of action” after the NFF failed to heed their extended deadline of June 14.

The September 30 Elective Congress is very much up in the air because of a Federal High Court order that has stopped any such meeting.