Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick has hinted at the possibility of going for a third term during the country’s football polls set for next month.
Speaking in Nairobi, Pinnick who also doubles up as a member of the Fifa Council representing Anglophone countries as well as a member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee, said he had received a lot of requests asking him to seek re-election.
“I had initially decided not to vie, but I have received several calls from very influential Nigerians as well as genuine lovers of the sport urging me to seek another term. It is within the law and I will decide about it when the right time comes,” he said.
He added: “ I’m yet to talk to my family and my business associates about it. I have spent eight years as the president of NFF, no other Nigerian has spent more than four year. We have elections next month and I have told Nigerians that I’m not going to run, but I have a lot of pressure from a lot of genuine Nigerian who appreciate the gains achieved. I know I have permanent haters who have been castigating me because Nigeria didn’t qualify for World Cup, but there are voices wanting me to continue, very top Nigerians at the highest level who are telling me I am young and they want me to continue.”
Pinnick who took over the leadership of Nigeria football from Amimu Maigari in 2014, is the only person to have served the federation for more than a single term and is currently serving the final days of his second term.
He attributes his achievements to his leadership styles and transformation of the federation from fully relying on the government for funds, to almost 90 per cent self-funding in a span of eight years.
