A new head to lead the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as the interim president and head of the normalisation committee has been picked by the presidency per what we exclusively gathered.
The board of the NFF was dissolved after mass resignation, led by the president of the football body Ibrahim Musa Gusau. It opened the door for the setting up of a normalisation committee that will run the country’s football for three months.
OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in AbdulHakeem Uthman Mustapha is the choice of majority of power brokers in the presidency.
Our checks on his profile from Nigerian website Sports Village Square, revealed that Mustapha is a member of FIFA’s Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination Committee, a position that gives him direct exposure to the global football governing body and its administrative framework.
He also previously served as President of the CAF Appeal Committee, placing him among Nigerians with substantial experience in African football’s legal and judicial structures.
His international football credentials could prove particularly important if the proposed normalisation process is expected to enjoy the confidence of FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
He was picked ahead of a seasoned administrator from the South South, whose candidacy was endorsed by the minister of the FCT Nyesom Wike, but not so popular with those at the helm of the National Sports Commission (NSC).
Meanwhile top officials of the NSC are in talks with FIFA to complete the formal process of setting up the committee, that will usher in a new direction for Nigerian football after the failures of four years with Gusau.
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
