FIFA presidency: Odegbami blames Amos Adamu for inability to get other countries’ backing

Former Nigerian international, Chief Segun Odegbami, has blamed former FIFA Executive Committee member, Amos Adamu, for his (Odegbami) failure to get the backing of, at least, five African countries in his quest to be elected FIFA boss on February 26, 2016.
The former chairman of the National Institute for Sports (NIS) is Nigeria’s candidate for the world football body presidential election but his name was conspicuously missing on Monday, October 26, the deadline for the submission of a nomination form.
Odegbami said his quest to vie for the coveted position of FIFA’s topmost position was doomed to fail from the start as the lofty intention was treated with disbelief.
“I don’t want to say that the process was sabotaged from the word go but that’s the truth staring us in our faces.
“At 2pm yesterday (Monday), I got an email requesting the nomination, sent to FIFA and copied to me.
“That’s the first document I needed to seek endorsement from other five countries, and I got that vital document at exactly 2pm.
“Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president, Amaju Pinnick, was in Cairo, Egypt, where some big heads of CAF were meeting and he promised to use his weight to get the required five endorsements.
“I was not in Cairo but information filtered in that some Nigerians were determined to stop Pinnick from getting the endorsements as they insisted that somebody else has been endorsed.
“Eventually, Pinnick could not get the five endorsements but I think the federation did not want to do it from the start anyway.
“I think the Nigerian government must call for an inquiry into the circumstance surrounding the whole episode because I believe we just wasted a rare opportunity for a Nigerian to take a shot at the FIFA presidency.
“I think the whole exercise is all about bad blood, I did it. Nobody asked me to do it.
“It just occurred to me that throughout the whole exercise, nobody knew what the rules say about vying for the office of FIFA president, which is not more than get five endorsements and your federation’s backing.
“I’m sure government must be taken aback by the turn of events as they forced the NFF to make the pronouncement backing my candidature, but then the NFF never released the required document on time.
“I think my candidature was shrouded in disbelief – why him, he cannot win, he is wasting our time, among other insinuations.
“But with the later disqualification of some key FIFA men, people started to react differently by showing faint support, but why not provide me with the nomination forms?
“How could I be looking for five endorsements in three hours before the deadline? I played my part, I started it. I wrote. I declared my intention. Nigeria did not support me, rather, I’m frustrated all the way.
“It’s a good experience. I have created the psychological platform for any Nigerian to aspire for the highest office in the land, so I’m satisfied with what I have done.
“Right now, it’s over for me, it’s a personal thing. I started the race. Nigeria did not start the race for me. I took full responsibility for everything,” Odegbami said.
The former Nigeria’s skipper blamed Adamu, and rival, Orji Uzor Kalu, for his failure not to get the backing of other African countries in his quest to be elected new FIFA boss.
Odegbami, who was endorsed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to run for the FIFA presidency in February, could not muster nominations from five African Football Associations (FAs) by Monday’s deadline for him to qualify to stand for the FIFA presidential elections.
“Where were Amos Adamu and (Orji) Kalu yesterday (Monday)? It’s a Nigerian thing to bring down others,” accused a sobered Odegbami on a radio interview monitored in Abuja Tuesday morning.
“Well, I have done my own bit and it is left for others to do theirs.”
Former Abia State Governor Kalu was linked with the FIFA presidential race, but he did not submit any documentation for his candidacy to the NFF.
The NFF, therefore, endorsed Odegbami at the weekend.
Adamu, who is now being investigated by FIFA Ethics Committee, has publicly endorsed Kalu as the best candidate from Nigeria to contest for the FIFA presidency.
The eight candidates who met the deadline for next February’s presidential polls are Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, Michel Platini, Jerome Champagne, David Nakhid, Tokyo Sexwale, Shaikh Salman Bin Brahim Al Khalifa, Gianni Infantino and Musa Bility.