Former Super Eagles goalkeeper Idah Peterside has revealed the reasons he is vying for the position of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president.
The tenure of the current NFF president Amaju Pinnick will expire in the next few months, with the next federation election slated to hold September.
A number of ex-internationals, including Benedict Akwuegbu, have declared interest to contest for the office.
Peterside, a football pundit and pastor who is based in South Africa, said he cried after the Super Eagles drew against the Black Stars of Ghana in the second leg of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Moshood Abiola national stadium in Abuja about two months ago.
He said Nigeria losing the World Cup ticket to Ghana motivated his decision to contest in the forthcoming election.
The 47-year-old further revealed that he decided to go into football administration so he can be in a position to hire and fire.
“Yes, the time has come, this is our game. We’ve kept quiet for this long and just watching all that has been happening. I told myself I won’t go into coaching because those who call the shots can decide to fire you just because they do not like you. I want to be in a position where I would be able to sack people too,” he said on Wednesday on Brila FM programme ‘No Holds Barred’.
Also Read: Aribo Equals Iwobi’s Record In European Cup Final
“On a more serious note, the time has for us to change Nigerian football; time has come for us to do something different. I came to Abuja to watch Nigeria vs Ghana and after the game at the stadium, I almost had a heart attack. I got back to my room and cried and cried and asked ‘what is this?’ ‘What has happened to our football’?
“I’m a man of God and I heard a voice in my spirit saying if you don’t do something, who will do it? So that word has not given me rest.”
He, however, lamented that what could be the stumbling block to his ambition is the way the NFF Statutes was drawn, and not the part that said interested candidates must be FA chairmen; part of the statutes some former players are said to be seeking a redress over in court.
“The problem is in the NFF statutes, we have four blocks; we have ex-players, we have referees, we have coaches, we have club chairmen; those are the four blocks. What the players who have gone to court are saying is that, every block, including players union, has one vote, but club chairmen have 37 votes.
“So the thing is, if anyone who is a club chairman wants to contest, he would certainly be NFF president. So what we are saying is, for the club chairmen, why can’t we reduce their vote, like if we have 50 persons who will vote in total. In that 50, club chairmen will have 10, referees 10, players union 10, so that everybody will have equal vote, which is right.
“The major problem is if you call for a meeting to change that law, nobody will be able to change it except the general council,” Peterside stated.
On the part of the NFF constitution which stipulates that candidates interested in occupying the office of the president must be state FA chairman, the former Moroka Swallows FC goalie argued that it is not part of the conditions to contest for the election.
“No, no. It is not so, I have seen the conditions. If not I wouldn’t have indicated interest. There are about seven conditions for you to be able to run. Number one, you need to be a Nigerian, you need to be affiliated with a local team in your region, you need to be active with a local team, you don’t have to be a club chairman; whether amateur, professional league.
“I’m involved with a local team and I am one of the directors of that team. I’ll change the constitution when I get there. I’m an ex-international; the referee in the statute is there because of the players, club chairmen are there because of players, FA chairman are there because of players, so why would ex-footballers not be allowed to be president,” he queried.
By Femi Ashaolu
13 Comments
Millions of Nigerian football fans should join the former players at the court.We should not wait to vent our anger on violence after national team games which triggers FIFA sanction. Whatever amendments made in Cameroon and Ivory coast that allowed Etoo Fills and Didier Drogbato contest, must be done in Nigeria,to qualify Idaho Peterside and other ex-internationals to contest and boot out hangers on,who know next to nothing about football and its administration.
Mr Peterside Idah. Remove pastorship from this matter. A pastor should go and mind his pasturing the sheep of God and not to join with politicians and other highly place individuals.
You said nice things until you said you heard a voice from God. You are a liar. God is not involved in sports. How do you think you can be the chairman of NFF and still be godly? It is impossible. You are coming to dine with the Demons. Don’t deceive yourself and don’t think you can deceive everybody. You can’t deceive me. Chose one— NFF chairman and done with Satan or stay in your pastorship. Read James 4:4. Unless you want to become an enemy of God.
How can you say God is not involved in football. If godly people do not get involved in as administration, how do we get it right?.
Stop Talking like a fool, who told u he can’t do what’s right if he is a pastor and who told u God didn’t speak to him. U just spoke from your depth of ignorance. Go & subscribe your brain and stop talking nonsense.
“… I came to Abuja to watch Nigeria vs Ghana and after the game at the stadium, I almost had a heart attack. I got back to my room and cried and cried …” LMAOoooo
Serves all of you right…!
Next time y’all will appreciate a coach who does all you mandated him to do with flying colours….LMAOooo
Peterside Idah and others should pick up forms for 100 million naira each!
If Nigeria is not careful the next NFF president will be worse than Amaju Pinnick.
For which side Peterside go find money? Many ex-players do not have the financial muscle and the cut-throat political brain of football administration. NFF presidents are normally corrupt, cruel and conniving men. Maybe a pastor will change all that. Or Nigeria could try a woman!
God help you Man of God
Brothers and Gents behold the good pastor wants to drink from the poisoned chalice called NFF presidency,brace yourselves for this movie and if you’re not aware grab your copy now.
@Escoba, are you childish or childlike? Are you below 18 years? Children can believe anything. They are gullible and vulnerable.
Think well, or you can ask your parents especially your father or your teacher at school. It’s childish to believe that someone could hear God’s voice today. You have been thoroughly deceived. It’s like believing that there is hellfire, because one pastor or pastors say so. It
like believing that you must pay tithe or you are destroyed. It’s like believing that you must ‘sow’seed before you gets God’s blessings.
Escoba, you really need to grow up fast.
Why would any sane person would be wasting their precious time on a Failed country, definitely these people have ulterior motives..Mr Ndah no matter how you try you would be getting ur orders and directives from one smelly Fulani man. Mr brother pls channel ur energy towards ur ppls independence. Just my opinion.
@Chidi. When will we get the right people in administration to get it right? Accountant General is in administration and accused of carting away 120 billions. Former NDDC arrested for carting away 60 billions. All NFF chairmen have failed. All of them belong to a Church or Islam. Nobody can be in top management and still be godly. It is impossible my dear. It is either you leave God and dine with the Demons or don’t go there at all.
Ok which team will God support between Liverpool vs Real Madrid? He created all the 22 players. It is let the best team win. God is not partial. God is not tribalistic like he’s English and so supports Liverpool neither is he Spanish so that Real Madrid wins. Read Acts 10:34, 35: “God is not partial but in every nation the man who fears him and does what’s right is acceptable to him.” You see.