The President of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), Mr Amaju Melvin Pinnick is facing severe pressure to resign from his esteemed office following the failure of the super eagles not being able to qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup. Pinnick who has been in charge of the NFF since 2014 revealed his time in the Glass House has taken a toll on his relationship with his family, on that ground ruling out his ambition to contest for a third term when his current tenure expires.
“I’m eligible to run based on the status. Do I want to run ?, It’s a no-no, my family is very key to me, they said it’s taking a toll on me and the family.
“They believed that I’ve done my best and it’s time to move on. It’s a regrettable decision, but it’s the best,”
Nonetheless, calls for him to resign from his position have continued unabated. Such Nigerians are upset that apart from losing the 2022 World Cup ticket and national pride, NFF’s ineptitude has cost the country over €12.2m (N5.6bn) bonus, which would have accrued to the football federation had the Super Eagles qualified for the 2022 World Cup.
As the pressure on Pinnick to resign continues to mount, the Senate has also summoned him to appear before it along with the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, to explain why Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in spite of the huge funding by the government, individuals and corporate bodies.
The Committee on Youths and Sports Development is also to investigate the vandalization of facilities at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium after the ill-fated match on March 29 and to assess the extent of damage to the stadium.
