Yola offers a two-year plan to revitalise Nigerian soccer.

Alhaji Abba Abdullahi Yola, the chief of staff to the minister of youth and sports development, outlined a two-year plan on Wednesday that he promised to carry out if he were elected president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Yola announced his intention to run for the NFF presidency in Abuja, and he promised to sponsor a resolution to pass a vote of no confidence in his leadership if he didn’t follow through if elected.

Yola, the chairman of Kano Pillars FC in Kano and the senior technical assistant to the late Alhaji Bala Ka’oje, former chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), announced that he would appoint more deputy secretaries to assist the secretary general. He added that these deputies would be sent to lead the various 18 Federation’s standing committees to ensure efficient administration of football.

On Wednesday, Peterside Idah, a former Super Eagles goalkeeper and media representative, also discussed his bid to replace Amaju Pinnick as NFF president. He added that if elected, he would create a world-class football centre at the national level.

He said that this period in the nation’s football history is intriguing and necessitates making “revolutionary” choices and using novel approaches.

“Nigerian football is about to undergo a revolution, and that revolution can only be realised when the Federation is led by an honest and honourable person,” he said. Integrity has always been my guiding principle. I will carry out my duties as president with honesty and care, and I’ll make sure that the NFF’s executives are answerable to the millions of Nigerians who love football and want to see our Federation prosper.

“If I’m elected NFF president, I’ll propose and commit to establishing a top-notch football centre at the national level, similar to Morocco’s Mohammed V1 football centre, which has top-notch facilities and gear built to produce high-caliber football players.

“We will give women’s football the importance it deserves. By aggressively pursuing sponsorship for clubs who are fighting to preserve their place in the league as well as raising the prize money for the league’s ultimate champions, I will try to energise the women’s league.

He said, “With the right kind of interventions that I plan to put in place as president of the Federation, we will see the organisation of football in this country change dramatically for the better. Nigeria’s football history is either progressing from good to great or slipping back into mediocrity.

“Our nation has a long history of being a successful football nation, and I aim to restore that pride and success, growing the game effectively at all levels, from youth/grassroots up to high performance, national team levels, for both men and women, while bringing back the passion, the support our beloved fans are known for, and increasing our fan base through innovative solutions.”

Miniechat

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