Posted by By Richard Jideaka, Abuja on
The chairman of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) Electoral Committee, Group Captain John Obakpalor (retd) has said....
The chairman of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) Electoral Committee, Group Captain John Obakpalor (retd) has said that he would not succumb to any form of intimidation or external influence in the discharge of his duties.
Speaking after the seven man electoral committee was inaugurated, Tuesday in Abuja, Obakpolor said he and his members would discharge their duties without bias in conducting the election, adding that those who picked them to conduct the election did so because of the good image they have in the country.
He said in conducting the election, he and his members would work according to the statute of the NFA, which has made their job easy, adding that they would release the guidelines for the election, after their inaugural meeting before the end of the week.
Group Captain Obakpolor then charged CAF and NFA to make the 2010 World Cup in South Africa an African Project in which at least, one African team must play in the semifinal and a must qualify by the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
'I and other members of this committee will do our best to ensure a free and fair election. And I want to assure you that we would not allow ourselves to be pushed around or be influenced externally," Obakpolor stated.
Earlier, FIFA and CAF executive committee member, Dr Amos Adamu, who was at the NFA Glass House to ‘observe' the inauguration, urged the committee to conduct the election according to the FIFA and NFA statute adding that his duty was to ensure that all was well
He pleaded with the press to report accurately without being involved in the politics of the game pointing out that as opinion builders, the press cannot afford to report falsehood.