Peace cannot exist in the face of injustice, Fuludu vows, petitioned FIFA, Buhari over emergence of new Delta FA board
Former Nigeria international Edema Fuludu has fault the emergence of Kenneth Nwaomucha as the new chairman of Delta State Football Association (DFA) in election held on Tuesday at Stephen Keshi stadium, Asaba, Delta state.
Edema Fuludu
Fuludu alongside Victor Ikpeba were elected DFA's Chairman and vice chairman respectively last year with other board positions dully filled but had the election nullified by the Nigeria Football Federation and the chairman of Delta Sports Commission, Tony Okowa, sighting flaw in the electoral process.
In a petition addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari and his Special Adviser on Sports, Daniel Amokachi, titled "Nigeria Football Federation Infractions in Delta state Football Association" which reads in part:
With compliments from the Congress of the Delta State Football Association, the Executive board led by Mr Fuludu Edema (Chairman) and Mr. Victor Ikpeba (Vice chairman).
This is to inform you of unwholesome issues that has held grassroot Football development in the jugular in Delta State as orchestrated by the Mr. Amaju Pinnick led Nigeria Football Federation board.
On the 13th of July 2019, the Delta State Football Association had its elective Congress which brought in a new board with the above stated Ex Nigeria International Footballers Messers Fuludu Edema and Victor Ikpeba as Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively.
A week after the elections, the NFF came out with a statement signed by Ibrahim Gusau the Chairman of Chairmen that the election was not recognized based on a petition purportedly written by a former DFA board member Mr. Sunday Lucky that he was not informed about the venue of the elections.
Fact is Mr. Sunday Lucky did not and never purchased or returned any nomination form to the electoral committee for screening. Mr. Sunday Lucky himself confessed that he never wrote a petition but his name was used as instructed by Ibrahim Gusau to the former secretary (Mr. Azuka Ogosi) who had been relieved of his duties by the DFA board and Congress prior to the elections.
The petition enumerates the fact that NFF has no power of validation over the election as stated in the electoral statuses.
Therefore, the NFF erred because the elections of affiliates is an internal matter and does not require third party interference. This is a fact in the statutes guiding Football Associations from FIFA down to
member Associations or affiliates. Specifically in the NFF 2010 Statutes it is stated in Art 18:2 that:
"The affiliated State Football Associations, Clubs, Leagues and
Groups of NFF shall take all decisions on any matters regarding
their membership independently of any external body. This obligation applies regardless of their corporate structure".
This singular action of the NFF drew the ire of South South Football Association Chairmen (Bayelsa, Cross River, Edo, Delta and Rivers) who met in Ikot Ekpene Akwa Ibom State on the 29th of December 2019 to write a letter to the NFF to stop this abnormality and setup an arbitration panel to look into the issues about the elections into the board of the Delta State Football Association.
After the Nigeria Football Federation gave directive coming from her AGA/Award night held at Eko Hotels Lagos on the 2nd of April 2019 that all State Football Associations including the FCT should conduct their elections between May 28th and June 30th 2019 latest, the Delta State Football Association was getting prepared to set up her Electoral process when the Executive Chairman of Delta State Sports Commission Chief Tonobok Okowa sent words through his brother Mr Lucky Sunday a member of the subsisting board in a board meeting that he will handpick the delegates for the proposed elections against democratic principles. The refusal of this directive by Mr. Fuludu Edema (who was Acting Chairman of DFA) and some board members became an issue.
The matter was reported to Mr Amaju Pinnick as President of NFF and he tried to mediate initially by appealing to Chief Tonobok Okowa to sheath his sword and allow reason to prevail.
Mr. Ibrahim Gusau also was despatched to come and reconcile the issues of false accusations raised about funds embezzlement and opening of an FA account without calling a board meeting to that effect by Mr Fuludu Edema. The reason for this false accusations was to remove Mr Fuludu Edema for daring to question the impunity of the Sports Commission Chairman of single handedly wanting to appoint delegates for our elections.
Gusau left and then against Statutes, the Sports commission decided to call for its own handpicked Congress wish was quickly reported to the NFF and a letter was despatched same day 6th of February 2019 to them as instructed by Ibrahim Gusau intimating them that it is only the Chairman or Vice Chairman in the absence of the Chairman that has statutory right to call for Congress.
As elections date was fixed by the DFA electoral Committee Mr. Ibrahim Gusau who had always told the Acting Chairman Mr Fuludu Edema that it is because Delta State is the NFF President's State he would have sanctioned Football activities in the state invited him to a meeting in his hotel suite in Asaba during the international friendly between Nigeria and Egypt.
The agenda of the meeting was an appeal to Mr Fuludu Edema to step down as aspiring Chairman and allow the Delta State Sports Commission Chairman Mr. Tonobok Okowa to become Chairman of the Delta State Football Association. This he said was an instruction from the NFF President Mr. Amaju Pinnick.
Mr. Fuludu Edema refused to believe and was called by the President from Paris that they (Fuludu and Pinnick) meet in Warri in two days. They met and that is where Amaju Pinnick was giving reasons on why Chief Tonobok Okowa must be Chairman.
First reason was that the Delta State Football Association chairmanship position is rotational and it is the turn of Delta North Senatorial District of the State.
Secondly that if Mr Fuludu Edema is chairman of DFA, the State government will stop supporting the NFF on hosting International friendlies/competitive matches. This assertion was repeated again in the presence of South South FA Chairmen in the last NFF Congress held on the 17th December 2019 in Benin city Edo State.
This was a rude shock coming from the President of the Nigeria Football Federation.
Since the NFF has decided to deride and contradict her status by going against democratic tenents which is the hallmark of FIFA, CAF and Association Football by also refusing to set up arbitration as demanded by the South South FA Chairmen, two members of the DFA Congress has taken the issue of arm twisting of the DFA with an illegal normalisation Committee to the Federal High Court in Warri.
Another Football stakeholder from Delta State in the person of Mr Harrison Jalla has also filed a case against the NFF and the Normalisation committee at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Against better judgement and acute impunity, the President of the NFF has given approval for another elections to hold into the Delta State Football Association executive board slated for 15th of September 2020 as currently widely circulated.
The petition last part reads:
Sir, we implore you to use your good office to call the NFF to order and for them to obey their own statuses and the Nigeria Court.
The NFF has no right to interfere in the internal matters of elections of an affiliate.
The petition was signed by
Fuludu Edema
Chairman DFA
For and on behalf of the board
and Congress of DFA.
Fuludu alongside Victor Ikpeba were elected DFA's Chairman and vice chairman respectively last year with other board positions dully filled but had the election nullified by the Nigeria Football Federation and the chairman of Delta Sports Commission, Tony Okowa, sighting flaw in the electoral process.
In a petition addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari and his Special Adviser on Sports, Daniel Amokachi, titled "Nigeria Football Federation Infractions in Delta state Football Association" which reads in part:
With compliments from the Congress of the Delta State Football Association, the Executive board led by Mr Fuludu Edema (Chairman) and Mr. Victor Ikpeba (Vice chairman).
This is to inform you of unwholesome issues that has held grassroot Football development in the jugular in Delta State as orchestrated by the Mr. Amaju Pinnick led Nigeria Football Federation board.
On the 13th of July 2019, the Delta State Football Association had its elective Congress which brought in a new board with the above stated Ex Nigeria International Footballers Messers Fuludu Edema and Victor Ikpeba as Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively.
A week after the elections, the NFF came out with a statement signed by Ibrahim Gusau the Chairman of Chairmen that the election was not recognized based on a petition purportedly written by a former DFA board member Mr. Sunday Lucky that he was not informed about the venue of the elections.
Fact is Mr. Sunday Lucky did not and never purchased or returned any nomination form to the electoral committee for screening. Mr. Sunday Lucky himself confessed that he never wrote a petition but his name was used as instructed by Ibrahim Gusau to the former secretary (Mr. Azuka Ogosi) who had been relieved of his duties by the DFA board and Congress prior to the elections.
The petition enumerates the fact that NFF has no power of validation over the election as stated in the electoral statuses.
Therefore, the NFF erred because the elections of affiliates is an internal matter and does not require third party interference. This is a fact in the statutes guiding Football Associations from FIFA down to
member Associations or affiliates. Specifically in the NFF 2010 Statutes it is stated in Art 18:2 that:
"The affiliated State Football Associations, Clubs, Leagues and
Groups of NFF shall take all decisions on any matters regarding
their membership independently of any external body. This obligation applies regardless of their corporate structure".
This singular action of the NFF drew the ire of South South Football Association Chairmen (Bayelsa, Cross River, Edo, Delta and Rivers) who met in Ikot Ekpene Akwa Ibom State on the 29th of December 2019 to write a letter to the NFF to stop this abnormality and setup an arbitration panel to look into the issues about the elections into the board of the Delta State Football Association.
- THE REAL ISSUES
After the Nigeria Football Federation gave directive coming from her AGA/Award night held at Eko Hotels Lagos on the 2nd of April 2019 that all State Football Associations including the FCT should conduct their elections between May 28th and June 30th 2019 latest, the Delta State Football Association was getting prepared to set up her Electoral process when the Executive Chairman of Delta State Sports Commission Chief Tonobok Okowa sent words through his brother Mr Lucky Sunday a member of the subsisting board in a board meeting that he will handpick the delegates for the proposed elections against democratic principles. The refusal of this directive by Mr. Fuludu Edema (who was Acting Chairman of DFA) and some board members became an issue.
The matter was reported to Mr Amaju Pinnick as President of NFF and he tried to mediate initially by appealing to Chief Tonobok Okowa to sheath his sword and allow reason to prevail.
Mr. Ibrahim Gusau also was despatched to come and reconcile the issues of false accusations raised about funds embezzlement and opening of an FA account without calling a board meeting to that effect by Mr Fuludu Edema. The reason for this false accusations was to remove Mr Fuludu Edema for daring to question the impunity of the Sports Commission Chairman of single handedly wanting to appoint delegates for our elections.
Gusau left and then against Statutes, the Sports commission decided to call for its own handpicked Congress wish was quickly reported to the NFF and a letter was despatched same day 6th of February 2019 to them as instructed by Ibrahim Gusau intimating them that it is only the Chairman or Vice Chairman in the absence of the Chairman that has statutory right to call for Congress.
As elections date was fixed by the DFA electoral Committee Mr. Ibrahim Gusau who had always told the Acting Chairman Mr Fuludu Edema that it is because Delta State is the NFF President's State he would have sanctioned Football activities in the state invited him to a meeting in his hotel suite in Asaba during the international friendly between Nigeria and Egypt.
The agenda of the meeting was an appeal to Mr Fuludu Edema to step down as aspiring Chairman and allow the Delta State Sports Commission Chairman Mr. Tonobok Okowa to become Chairman of the Delta State Football Association. This he said was an instruction from the NFF President Mr. Amaju Pinnick.
Mr. Fuludu Edema refused to believe and was called by the President from Paris that they (Fuludu and Pinnick) meet in Warri in two days. They met and that is where Amaju Pinnick was giving reasons on why Chief Tonobok Okowa must be Chairman.
First reason was that the Delta State Football Association chairmanship position is rotational and it is the turn of Delta North Senatorial District of the State.
Secondly that if Mr Fuludu Edema is chairman of DFA, the State government will stop supporting the NFF on hosting International friendlies/competitive matches. This assertion was repeated again in the presence of South South FA Chairmen in the last NFF Congress held on the 17th December 2019 in Benin city Edo State.
This was a rude shock coming from the President of the Nigeria Football Federation.
Since the NFF has decided to deride and contradict her status by going against democratic tenents which is the hallmark of FIFA, CAF and Association Football by also refusing to set up arbitration as demanded by the South South FA Chairmen, two members of the DFA Congress has taken the issue of arm twisting of the DFA with an illegal normalisation Committee to the Federal High Court in Warri.
Another Football stakeholder from Delta State in the person of Mr Harrison Jalla has also filed a case against the NFF and the Normalisation committee at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Against better judgement and acute impunity, the President of the NFF has given approval for another elections to hold into the Delta State Football Association executive board slated for 15th of September 2020 as currently widely circulated.
The petition last part reads:
Sir, we implore you to use your good office to call the NFF to order and for them to obey their own statuses and the Nigeria Court.
The NFF has no right to interfere in the internal matters of elections of an affiliate.
The petition was signed by
Fuludu Edema
Chairman DFA
For and on behalf of the board
and Congress of DFA.
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