Much ado about NPL election

For many football stakeholders, the lingering war over elections into the NPL board, especially as it concerns the key positions of chairman and the chairman of chairmen, the recent development is a sign of slow but steady extinction for NPL. Already, the ongoing 2010/2011 league season has suffered several setbacks due to the crisis which […]

For many football stakeholders, the lingering war over elections into the NPL board, especially as it concerns the key positions of chairman and the chairman of chairmen, the recent development is a sign of slow but steady extinction for NPL.

Already, the ongoing 2010/2011 league season has suffered several setbacks due to the crisis which engulfed the league since the advent of the battle between Mr. Davidson Owumi and Victor Rumson Baribote.

It will be recalled that under highly contentious atmosphere, Owumi and Baribote contested election for NPL’s chairmanship position on September 11 2010 and Owumi, the former General Manager of Rangers International of Enugu was declared winner. Baribote instantly appealed against the election of Owumi and that set the tone for the ongoing hullabaloo and ballyhoo.

Following intervention from the National Sports Commission, especially on the need to resolve all differences amicably, Nigeria Football Federation set up an Appeals Committee headed by Professor Ibidapo Obe to look into the election crisis. As the committee looked into claims and counter claims by concerned parties, clandestine moves continued from both camps and in the end, the Appeals Tribunal ordered for fresh election to be conducted.

Consequently, at its Annual General Meeting in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, the NFF among other resolutions, nullified Owumi’s election as NPL chairman. In a swift response, the former international headed to a Federal High Court in Abuja to challenge the decision of the NFF against him.

There was momentary reprieve for Owumi when the court ordered that he should go back to his position pending the determination of the suit he had brought before it. However, the reprieve for Owumi did not last long as another order by Justice Kolawale of the Federal High Court Abuja upheld the decision of the NFF executive committee by dismissing the five prayers sought by him over his election and subsequently directed that elections be conducted to fill the positions of chairman and chairman of chairmen within 45 days.

It is said, in compliance with the court order, the NFF executive committee therefore wrote to the NPL election committee then headed by Mr. Tony Rafua to organize fresh elections into the positions of chairman and chairman of chairmen before September 5 or it would take over the responsibility.

The letter to NPL election committee elicited sharp reactions following divergent interpretations of the court judgment and the directive from the Prof. Ibidapo Appeals tribunal’s order for fresh election. In response to the order of the High Court, the NSC Chairman and Minister of sports advised that the door should be thrown open for all qualified candidates to contest the election. However, a fresh explanation emerged from Prof. Ibidapo’s committee that it ordered for a re-run but not fresh election.

This is the crux of the matter. The Baribote camp wants their man to be declared sole candidate as according to them, the NFF appeals committee ordered for a re-run and not fresh election and since Owumi had been knocked out of the race, there should be no new candidates.

On the other hand, some members of the NPL board who are said to be vehemently opposed to the candidature of Baribote are said to be scheming hard for a fresh election that would accommodate new candidates.

It is these intrigues that have led to so much commotion in the house of the Nigeria football league. After a near free for all fight allegedly masterminded by the camp of Baribote penultimate week, the congress of the NPL held a meeting under the cover of darkness and emerged with a new electoral committee following the sack of the former one.

The congress therefore reconstituted a new election committee to be headed by Chairman of Kaduna United, Alhaji Sabo Babayaro with the mandate to conduct elections into the positions of chairman and chairman of chairmen within one week.

Even before it could get down to work, the NFF in another twist wrote to the NPL secretariat ordering it to suspend indefinitely all activities relating to the conduct of the elections. Besides, the new NPL election committee itself is suffering from credibility challenges following the withdrawal of some of its members like Mike Idoko who declined his appointment on the ground that he had endorsed the form of one of the candidates in the election.

Already tongues are wagging that the NFF is interested in conducting the election in order to install a stooge but the acting Executive Secretary of NPL who doubles as the secretary of the new election committee, Mr. Tunji Babalola said NFF has no such plans.

According to him, the letter written to him by the football federation did not suggest such a thing as he said it simply directed that activities should be suspended until further notice.

“What I know is that the football federation wants all contentious issues to be thrashed out. The federation did not say it will be taking over our responsibility. Elections would hold but only when pending issues are taken care of”.

Even if the NFF is not interested in conducting the election by itself as it once threatened, the question is will it be possible for both the NFF and NPL to resolve all difference within the 45 days given by the court for fresh elections to be conducted? Secondly, will the election to be conducted be all inclusive making it a fresh election or would it be Prof. Ibidapo’s re-run election which shut out other interested parties? Thirdly, even if it is a re-run and Baribote emerges as the sole candidate, is he going to preside over the NPL even as his club, Bayelsa United could not make a return to the Nigeria Premier League?. On what platform is he going to lead the NPL board?

These are series of questions begging for answers as the battle for the soul of Nigeria Premier League continues. Indications are strong that the coming weeks would witness even more intriguing drama. But the ultimate loser is the Nigerian football league which has already suffered untold hardship in the hands of self serving men.