Delta FA sacks secretary as crisis over board elections continues

The crisis rocking Delta Football Association over the board elections took a new twist on Tuesday when the acting chairman, Edema Fuludu asked the secretary, Azuka Ogosi to step aside from the DFA secretariat in Asaba.

Fuludu, a member of the Tunisia ’94 Super Eagles’ winning squad is battling against another ex-international, Victor Ikpeba for the chairmanship position, which was last occupied by former Super Eagles captain, Austin Okocha. Okocha resigned midway into his administration.

There has been divided opinion by stakeholders on who to support between Fuludu and Ikpeba, but majority of the people feel that the DFA chairmanship position should be occupied by someone who is resident in Delta State to avoid a repeat of the Okocha era, when he dictated from Lagos.

Ikpeba is based in Lagos, while Fuludu is resident in Delta.

The Guardian learnt that Ogosi was fired for failing to carry out Fuludu’s instruction on arrangement for the coming elections.

“Fuludu has written to the NFF this morning (Tuesday) to alert the federation of alleged move by the Delta Sports Commission chairman, Tony Okowa to organize an ‘illegal’ election,” a source in the FA said.

Contacted, Fuludu confirmed the sacking of the DFA secretary: “I was told that someone has called a delegates congress. I don’t know anything about it. I instructed the secretary just yesterday (Monday) to send a message to board members for a meeting on February 12. He called me to say his ‘ogas’ at the Sports Commission told him not to send the message, and instead, he was told to call for a delegates’ congress.

“That is flagrant violation of procedures and football association regulations. I have told the Secretary to step aside if his job as staff of Delta Sports Commission is in conflict with his job as DFA secretary. I have written to the NFF and I am waiting for response. But in the mean time, I have called for a general meeting to make arrangement for our election in accordance with NFF directives that elections should hold between May 28 and June 30,” Fuludu stated.

The Guardian learnt yesterday that the NFF has warned the Delta Sports Commission on the consequences of organizing illegal elections into the DFA.