By Ben Efe  & Fidelis Ebu
Facts emerged yesterday that the elections into the Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation would go on as scheduled as litigations hitherto filed to stop them have been withdrawn

FIFA boss

A dependable NFF source said yesterday that the withdrawal of the petitions gave the ray of hope of the elections holding on August 21 in Abuja .Meanwhile,FIFA and CAF officials are expected to touch down in Abuja tomorrow to observe the Nigeria Football Association elections scheduled for this weekend.

The chief referee for the poll, Abdulhakeem Mustapha disclosed during a chat yesterday that his committee received a notification from the world and continental soccer ruling bodies about their intention to witness the election and ensure that it was conducted strictly to standards.

“It will be a big honour to have FIFA and CAF monitor the elections. We believe that the will be a recognition of our effort to re-brand Nigerian football by organising a credible election in the NFA,”  said Barrister Mustapha.

He added that the electoral committee has set in motion machinery to deliver a transparent election, which will be satisfactory to all contestants and Nigerians.

“I enjoin all the aggrieved to embrace the “principle of necessity” for the election to hold as scheduled in the interest of progress,” he counseled.

Remarkably, the electoral committee last week screened 59 aspirants among whom were nine aspirants for the presidency that would contest the elections into the Executive Committee of the NFF.

The data received from the Electoral Committee confirmed Fan Ndubuoke; a veteran sports journalist and one time Special Assistant to the former Sports Minister, the late Air Commodore Emeka Omerua (rtd) among those aspiring to contest the NFF presidency.

Acting interim president of the NFF, Aminu Maigari as well as former NFF Secretaries General, Sani Ahmed Toro and Dr Tijani Yusuf are also among candidates with Lumumba Da Adeh, Segun Odegbami, Shehu Dikko and Bukola Olopade on the list.