Pinnick has used your tenure, Northern caucus tells Akinwunmi, Idah, Akpoborie, others

Amaju Pinnick PHOTO:Getty Images

• Lagos FA boss launches campaign today What appears a major hurdle for candidates from the southern zone of the country vying for the presidency in the elective congress of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), may be afoot, if a declaration by the northern caucus of the federation is anything to go by.

The election to usher in a new president and other executive committee members for a four-year tenure will hold in Benin City, Edo State on September 30.

Over 11 contestants are in the race to take over the seat currently occupied by Amaju Pinnick. They include first vice president of the NFF, Seyi Akinwunmi, Chairman of Chairmen, Ibrahim Gusau, former NFF secretary, Musa Amadu, CAF Director, Security, Christian Emeruwa, former Super Eagles goalkeeper and Media Officer, Peterside Idah, former player, Benedict Akwuegbu, former SWAN President and General Manager, Heartland FC, Fan Ndubuoke, former Director, NSC and current Chief of Staff to Sports Minister, Abba Yola, former player, Jonathan Akpoborie and former NFF board member, Amamze Uchegbulam.

Another stakeholder, Ahmed Gara Gombe, is said to be watching the situation before declaring his interest in the election.

A source close to the northern caucus, a group that is fighting to install a northerner as the next NFF president, hinted, yesterday, that all the candidates from the south should forget their ambition.

He hinged the North’s stance on belief that incumbent president, Pinnick’s second tenure has made another southern president impossible.

“Pinnick’s second tenure is for candidates from the south. It is the turn of the north to produce the NFF president and we will get it,” the source told The Guardian yesterday.

The declaration by