Former Nigeria captain, Segun Odegbami, has protested the criteria set by the Nigeria Football Federation for nomination of a candidate for the FIFA presidential election.The NFF on Monday released the conditions needed by a candidate for nomination for the February 2016 election. NFF stated that a prospective candidate must obtain endorsements from their state Football Associations, the National Sports Commission and the Confederation of African Football.
But Odegbami in a letter on Wednesday addressed to the NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, and copied to President Muhammadu Buhari, the FIFA General Secretary and CAF President, Issa Hayatou, described the endorsements from the NSC and CAF as unnecessary.
“I refer to my letter of August 26, 2015, addressed to you, in which I humbly requested nomination by the NFF to enable me to contest the vacant position of President of FIFA in the election coming up on February 26, 2016,” the letter read in part.
“Whilst awaiting a formal response from you, it was with utter disbelief and shock to read of the conditions (more of barriers) on a television programme that the NFF has set for Nigerian candidates.
“I find the last two of these requests very bizarre, and a product of a lack of familiarity with the guidelines for the FIFA presidential elections.”
Source: The Punch