By Patrick Omorodion & Ime Bassey
The crisis rocking football in the country is gradually shifting to Imo State as football stakeholders there are gathering signatures to stall the State’s Football Association election scheduled for January 22, 2011, 12 clear days beyond the deadline ordered by the Nigeria Football Association, NFA for the process.

Former Chairman of the Imo State Football Association, Chief Uche Ejimofor told Saturday Vanguard sports in Owerri that stakeholders are collecting signatures to stall efforts of Chief Amanze Uchegbulam, former first vice chairman of the NFA to perpetuate himself in office.

“We are collecting signatures for our protest against the high price put for the forms for the election. Those of them who made money from the NFA think we all can afford N250,000 for a form,” Ejimofor said.

He accused Chief Uchegbulam of manipulating the electoral system to favour his return, stressing “We will make sure he doesn’t come back. Imo state is not like Osun State where (Chief Taiwo) Ogunjobi returned. After three terms in office, Amanze wants to come back for a fourth term and we will not allow it.”

Chief Uchegbulam told Saturday Vanguard on phone that he was not responsible for the hike in the price of nomination forms but that the high price could have been informed by the need to rise money for the FA which has no sponsors.

“I am not in-charge of the price of the election forms, I didn’t fix it. People are crying that the amount is too high but I cannot do anything about it. I can only advise and cannot tell the electoral committee what to do. I believe the reason for the high price is because the State FA is not sponsored by anybody. The money could also be for the easy conduct of the election,” he said.

Uchegbulam

While Chief Uchegbulam claimed that the electoral committee agreed on January 22, 2011 for the election because of the Christmas holidays which he claimed “is a passionate break for the Igbo people”, a chairmanship aspirant and sports journalist, George Aluo said it was not true as the former NFA boss set up the electoral committee penultimate  Friday, January 7, 2011.

“What has the Christmas got to do with the elections. Other States did theirs within the January 10 deadline given by the NFA despite the Christmas break. Amanze set up the electoral committee just last Friday (January 7). With N250,000 for the form, I am technically out of the race because I cannot raise that kind of money,”he said,

He disclosed that aspirants for the vice chairman position are to cough out N150,000 while others aspiring to be on the Board re to pay N50,000 for the forms.

Chairman of the electoral committee, Chimdi Ejiogu in defending the high price of the form towed Chief Uchegbulam’s position, stressing that those who want to run the FA should be able to pay for the form.

“On the complain by some people that the money for the form is too high, they should understand that whatsoever that is in their interest, they can pay a good price for it. Beside, nobody is sponsoring the State FA, so we are looking at those who can run the FA without complain,” he said.