Expdonaloaded Sports News; Glass House politics: ‘Coup’ fear grips Amaju

PRESIDENT of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Pinnick Amaju is having another round of sleepless nights as he tries to hang on to power as leader of the nation’s 13-man soccer gov­erning board. Expdonaloaded blog gathered that Amaju, whose election is still being investigated by security agencies is be­ing threatened by the rising profile of one of his lieuten­ants, who commands the loyalty of virtually all the other board members.
A competent source con­firmed to Expdonaloaded blog that the influential board member who is now taking the shine off Amaju was the one that got Rivers State Government to host the Si­erra Leone, Cote D’Ivoire game, as well as Tues­day’s international friendly against Niger. The board member now giving Amaju headache was equally said to have made all the contacts that saw the NFF take the Ni­geria, Chad game to the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna after Akwa Ibom State Government gave the NFF board a red card. According to our source, despite the vote of confi­dence the board passed on Amaju at their Port Har­court meeting on Monday night, the youthful Delta born football administra­tor was not too comfortable with what was going on internally and as such was watching his back. “Virtually all the board members are paying al­legiance to this influential member and not Pinnick, this much I can tell you,” our source said. Giving reasons for this situation, our source said. “Before coming on board, this particular man now giving Amaju sleep­less nights has been nice to all those on the board. He equally has all the contact you can think of. He was the one that got the Federal Ministry of Health to give NFF clearance to host the Sierra Leone, Cote D’Ivoire game. When Lagos State Government backed out, he got Rivers to save the situa­tion. He is a personal friend of Kaduna State Governor, Mallam El Rufai and his contact saw Kaduna ac­cepting to host the Nigeria, Chad match. He is the man pulling all the strings and this is one factor Amaju is not too comfortable with. The way things are go­ing, Pinnick is worried the board members could one day gang up and tell him to step aside.” Amaju in his reaction last night, said there was noth­ing to worry about, insisting that he is on the same page with all his board members. He stated that he had since coming on board done what no other president of the soccer federation had been able to do in terms of repo­sitioning Nigerian football. “During our meeting in Port Harcourt, all the board members commended me. I m not a member of the com­muniqué drafting commit­tee and you can see what they came up with- a vote of confidence in me. The only board member who raised caveat over our decision to revoke the furnishing of the Abuja Glass House contract was shouted down and we all resolved to forge ahead together. You can get in touch with my vice presi­dent, Seyi Akinwunmi, if you think we are not on the same page. The board passed a vote of confidence on me in Port Harcourt and they all applauded what I m doing, so I m not worried at all and again the NFF job for me, is not a matter of life and death,” Amaju said.