NFF election: Peterside vows to sue if disqualified

Image: Sports Brief

As we look forward to September 30, when the Nigeria Football Federation election will be coming up, some contestants are talking tough. One of the presidential contestants, Idah Peterside, an ex-Super Eagles goalkeeper, has threatened to sue anyone if they tried to disqualify him from contesting.

Peterside said this in during a live radio programme with Sports Salsa. His reaction was based on rumour that some contestants might be disqualified before election day.

It has been drama regarding the NFF presidency race, the incumbent president of the body, Amaju Pinnick, the first man to head the body for two terms, confirmed he would not be running for a third term.

At the Annual General Assembly earlier this month, September 30 was announced as the date for the election, with the electoral and appeals committees set up.

As things are looking, the coast is definitely not clear of potential turbulence and crisis, as about 15 contenders battle for the single position of the NFF president, who all picked up their forms on Monday in Abuja.

However, Peterside said he would take the electoral committee to court if denied the right to contest.

“We will go to court,” the former Super Eagles media officer stated bluntly when asked about the action he would take if he was screened out by the electoral committee.

“It wouldn’t make sense because when I played for Nigeria they did not screen me. When I playing for Nigeria they said I was a Nigerian, and based on the fact that I was born here and I have a Nigerian passport, that should be the qualification, except they have a crime against me or I have committed a crime that does not qualify me for the position.

“Except for those, there is no reason to disqualify me, and I don’t care where I am living because that shouldn’t be the criteria, as long as I have a Nigerian passport.”

The South Africa-based Idah added, “I have looked at the statutes, and we need to challenge some of them. I am not saying I am going to be disqualified because there is no reason for that. I live in Port Harcourt, I own a house there, and I can work anywhere in the world, but I pay my taxes here in Nigeria, I run an academy here, and I think I am qualified.

“I have been involved in football administration in Port Harcourt for 15 years, so what will be the reason for the disqualification? I don’t think we should be talking about that.”

Source: punchng.com

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