Supporters Club elections will hold in Abuja, Okumagba insists

• Declares for national chairmanship position

As preparations for the national delegates’ election into the National Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club billed for Saturday, December 10, in Abuja draws near, Prince Vincent Okumagba has declared his interest in retaining his position as the chairman of the body.

Okumagba said yesterday that his supporters and 90 per cent of the states’ delegates would be in Abuja in total compliance with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) directive that the poll be held in the federal capital for transparency and security purposes.

However, in a separate campaign move yesterday, the former Secretary-General of the Club, Reverend Samuel Ikpea, said that he was optimistic of emerging as the new national chairman of the club in the National Executive elections slated for the same day, but at the Conference Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos.

Okumagba said yesterday that they had a letter written to them by the NFF reaffirming the election in Abuja on Saturday. He added: “We have been in direct contact with over 90 per cent of the chairmen and their secretaries confirming their arrival dates. You would vividly remember that in 2012, we tried to hold election in Lagos; it was marred by violence and irregularities, which led to a court suit. Since then, the club has been operating on two parallel lines and such has retarded the upward movement of the club, until the reconciliation meeting by the NFF on October where a truce was reach in a communiqué signed by Dr. Rafiu Ladipo, chairman, Board of Trustees and Prince Vincent Okumagba, national chairman and was witnessed by Bola Oyeyode who acted as NFF Reconciliation committee chairman.”

According to Okumagba, the Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung, wants the election to be held in a neutral ground to ensure free, fair and credible polls with adequate security and free from any form of intimidation of any kind.

Meanwhile, former Secretary-General of the club, Rev. Ikpea is optimistic of emerging as the new national chairman of the Supporters Club in a polls slated for Saturday in Lagos.

Edo State-born Ikpea, who is pitched against Aromire Muritala in the Lagos election, is already strategising on how to restore unity and discipline among members of the club.

“Unity and discipline are very vital at this point in time, and my first assignment, if elected, will be to ensure that the glorious years of unity and discipline are restored. Nothing good can be achieved without unity and discipline,” he stated.

The electoral committee of the club for the Lagos election, headed by Elder Bankole Ademola, has already announced that tomorrow will be the manifesto night for the polls.