By Jacob Ajom

A former board member of the Nigeria Football Association (now NFF), Prince Isidore Oduah has called for the immediate arrest of Okechukwu Ajunwu, the chairman of the NFF Electoral Appeals Committee who gave a minority report that annulled the election of Mr. Amaju Pinnick as President of the NFF on September 30.

Oduah who was speaking on the recurring crisis at the NFF observed that the bickering by football officials over who occupies the top chair of the NFF was inimical to the development of football in the country. Last week the appeals committee of the NFF looking into election petitions filed by aggrieved football officials submitted two conflicting reports. Three members of the committee had ruled that the elections that brought in Mr. Pinnick was legitimate, but chairman of the committee, Barrister Ajunwa in a minority report called for the cancellation of the election.

“Ajunwa should be arrested because it appears there is more to it than meets the eye. How can the chairman of a committee disagree with all the other members to the extent that his own report would be the direct opposite of the majority report?” Oduah asked, adding, “that man has some questions to answer.”

He blamed the problems facing Nigeria football on the absence of a board for the National Sports Commission.

“If there was a board in place for the National Sports Commission, I doubt if the issue of regular government intervention in the affairs of the NFF would have been common because it is the board that would have been interfacing with the NFF and not the ministry,” he said.

Speaking on the controversial contract being prepared for underfire coach Stephen Keshi, Oduah argued that whoever was pushing for Keshi’s return was simply asking for trouble. “Whoever is pushing this case for Keshi to return as Eagles coach should be prepared to face the wrath of Nigerian football fans. They have said Keshi’s time with the national team is up and whoever is trying to force him on Nigerians should be prepared for the backlash,” he said.

Continuing, the former Vice Chairman of the Anambra State Football Association said, “I foresee a revolution by Nigerian football fans. Keshi’s case should be closed so that he can take a walk. Nobody should force him on Nigerians.”