CAF election: Magiari sets up fight to finish with Adamu

Dr Adamu, Maigari, Rafiu Ladipo when the going was sweet

*No more approval for Copa Lagos beach soccer

*Six of Adamu’s men in the FA faces sack

by Olajide Fashikun

For his alleged role in the failure of the sitting President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Aminu Maigari, in winning the last elective congress to Confederation of African Football Executive Committee, Dr. Amos Adamu’s son, Samson, may no more enjoy the support and approval of the federation again.

An authoritative insider in the football house told www.gongnews.net that, “Dr. Amos Adamu for his own selfish interests worked against the emergence of Maigari who had the backing of the Federal Government. For this, we shall also ensure that his son’s Copa Lagos beach soccer event will not receive our blessing again.”

Alhaji Aminu Maigari is fuming over the role allegedly played by Dr Amos Adamu.

He caused a thorough digest and analysis of the events that took place before, during and after the 35th CAF Ordinary Congress. Maigari’s fight back strategy is first sacrificing the Copa Lagos beach soccer championships.

The politricks: Unlike the unfortunate defeat of Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima in Khartoum, Sudan two years ago, Maigari’s own last Sunday came in a devastating fashion. In 2011, Galadima was a late entrant into the race after the former occupant of the seat, Dr Amos Adamu lost in his appeal of a three-year ban from football for allegedly seeking bribes during the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding contests by Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA).

Maigari, we were told, hit the road for campaigns as early as last year. If Galadima lacked enough support from the Nigerian government two years ago, the same cannot be said of Maigari.

Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi led the Federal Government delegation to Yaounde, Cameroon to pay homage to Issa Hayatou and to seek his support for the Nigerian candidate for the CAF executive seat.

How true it was that Hayatou pretended to be very busy and never met the Nigerian minister remains to be verified but by the Minister’s utterance, he met with Hayatou.

Adamu betrayal: “In Marakech, we had concrete evidence that our efforts were frustrated by Dr Amos Adamu, said a deep involved source in the NFF.

The source added that, Maigari sought for and got the support of Dr Amos Adamu few weeks to the election and got “a positive response.”

The source alleged that: “One of the delegates from East Africa was supposed to be reached by Dr. Adamu on Maigari’s behalf. Adamu received $10,000 on his behalf and assured that he had flown him to Lagos and “sorted out” things. This is seemingly not provable nor receiptable.

The East African delegate was said to have been embarrassed when Maigari approached him in Morocco, frantically apologising for not being able to meet him personally during his visit to Lagos. The delegate was so shocked that he tendered his international passport to confirm that he was not in Nigeria in the weeks leading to the CAF election.

Back in the country, Alhaji Maigari is said to have sworn to take his pound of flesh off Adamu, first by retrieving his $10, 000 from the former FIFA top executive and secondly, to stop his son’s beach project from receiving the FA’s backing.

“He worked against the candidacy of Maigari, behind the scene. On approaching delegates for their votes, we were told that they had counter instructions from Nigeria to the effect that the

Beninois candidate, Anjorin Moucharaf should be supported.

Why Adamu may have worked aganst Maigari: “If Maigari had won, he would have been in CAF Executive Committee for four years (2013-2017), meaning when Dr Adamu’s ban is lifted in November, chances of his returning to the body would have been slim.

Adamu will be eligible to contest for a CAF election in two years (2015). President Issa Hayatou has been elected unanimously to an extended sixth tenure since his first election on the 10^th March, 1988. Issa Hayatou was the only candidate for the President of the Executive Committee at the last election.

 Grand fight in the offing: Readers will recall we had reported that Maigari is set for bigger internal cleansening of the FA. We have been guaranteed that a list of six of Dr. Amos Adamu’s key men working in the Nigeria Football Federation would receive the hammer of sack very soon.

Signal to this effect came from an usual corner when former Gombe state FA chairman, Alhaji Gara-Gombe on Monday in a television programme accused Nigeria born suspended FIFA and CAF executive member, Dr Amos Adamu of plotting the failure of NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari in the recently concluded CAF executive elections in Morocco.

Gara while speaking on African Independent Television (AIT) morning programme ‘Kakaaki’, said the former Director General of the Nigeria Sports Commission should be blamed for the rejection of Maigari in the CAF elections held in Morocco on Sunday.

According to him, the Federal

Government should institute a probe panel to investigate the level of the involvement of the former Director General on the failed attempt by Maigari in the CAF executive elections.

Gombe who recalled the role he played at the elections of the suspended CAF and FIFA executive member in Cairo, Egypt, said it is unfortunate that individual interest is allowed to override National interest, saying the cabals in CAF will not allow credible person to be part of the executive.

Gombe is a paid agent: In a swift reaction, Mr John Atale, an aide of the suspended FIFA and CAF executive member while describing Gara-Gombe as a paid agent said it is unfortunate that Dr Adamu is being accused wrongly.

According to Atale, the failure of Nigeria’s candidate in the elections should not be used by hangers on to feed.

To him, the claim by Gombe on the role of Dr Adamu is baseless as it is not the first time elections into the CAF executive is conducted and people losing out in such elections.

Atale, who alleged that the former Gombe Football Association boss is only working for his master who gave him a contractor job during the just concluded Nation’s Cup in South Africa, should not be taken seriously in matters like this, as it is his stock in trade.

“We know Gara too well, he was one of the NFF contractors in South Africa during the Nations Cup, he is only looking for his food to eat but is unfortunate that he is dragging Dr Adamu’s name into it, a man who has been out of the Sports circle all these while, it is surprising that Gombe is paid to lie,” Atale narrated.

Going down memory lane, Atale said “that elections in the past have seen the eventual winner losing in Sudan, just as Danny Jordaan of South Africa lost in his bid too, without any head rolling or claims of sabotage.

“Mousharaf Anjorin lost in Sudan and you can see too that Jordaan lost just as our man Maigari lost too, so for Gara-Gombe to wake up and start dancing to his own drums beat tells much of his trademark, we are not joining issues with him but we are only concerned because he is just telling blatant lies to suit his paymaster,” Atale noted.