By Jude Opara
About 20 stern-looking security operatives on Monday took control of the Secretariat of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), located at Package B of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
The development came as the management of the football body was said to be holding a closed-door meeting.
The operatives, who said they were under strict instructions not to allow anyone, including journalists, into the Secretariat, prevented this reporter from even waiting at the reception.
A source at the NFF, who pleaded anonymity, said the closed-door management meeting was being held ahead of a scheduled stakeholders’ meeting involving members of the Football Associations and representatives of both the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).
The CAF and FIFA officials arrived in Nigeria on Sunday.
Meanwhile, while the meeting was still ongoing, an official from the State House, who arrived in a van at about 12:20 p.m., entered the Secretariat clutching a bulky file. He left about 10 minutes later.
It could be recalled that Nigerian football has several times gone through similar periods of crisis or near-crisis, particularly around election years.
Prior to the 2014 election, former NFF President Amaju Pinnick and Giwa FC proprietor, Amb. Chris Giwa, were involved in a leadership crisis that led to the takeover of the Secretariat by security operatives for several weeks.
While Nigerian football stakeholders were preparing for elections into the board of the NFF, the former president, Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, and his entire board resigned from office in a dramatic twist. The former General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, also threw in the towel.
However, many analysts believe the resignations were subtly forced by the Federal Government through the National Sports Commission (NSC).
The scheduled stakeholders’ meeting was said to have been convened at the instance of the NSC, whose officials are reportedly seeking FIFA’s support to allow the government to comprehensively reorganise the nation’s football administration without attracting a ban from international football.
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