North Central FA Chairmen Endorse Gusau for Second Term, Offer to Buy His Nomination Form

Chairmen of Football Associations in Nigeria’s North Central geopolitical zone have endorsed the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, MON, for a second term in office and offered to jointly purchase his nomination form for the forthcoming NFF presidential election.

The endorsement came at the Annual General Meeting of the Benue State Football Association held in Makurdi, where stakeholders met to review the activities of the association and discuss the growth of football in the state and the country at large.

The chairmen, who attended the meeting in the company of the NFF President and in solidarity with their colleague, Chief Dr Paul Edeh, Chairman of the Benue State Football Association, took turns to commend Gusau’s leadership style before endorsing him and announcing their offer to buy his nomination form.

Present at the meeting were Edeh; the NFF Board Member representing the North Central, Rt. Hon. Chief Margaret Icheen; Chairman of the Kwara State Football Association, Alhaji Idris Abdullahi Musa; Chairman of the Nasarawa State Football Association, Alhaji Usman Salisu Galadima; Chairman of the Plateau State Football Association, Rt. Hon. Suleiman Yahaya Kwande; and the NFF President. The Chairman of the Kogi State Football Association, Alhaji Hassan Wada, attended remotely.

In their separate remarks, the chairmen praised Gusau’s consultative approach to leadership and his accessibility to stakeholders at all levels. They singled out his administration’s investment in grassroots football, supported by coaching clinics and administrative training, describing it as the foundation for developing the next generation of Nigerian players.

They also commended the FIFA Forward project at Package B of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, which comprises a players’ hostel and new training pitches. The chairmen said the facility, which is progressing on schedule, would strengthen technical development and coach education for years to come.

The chairmen further noted that the federation had improved its working relationship with FIFA and the Confederation of African Football, strengthened transparency in football administration, and expanded support for youth and women’s football, citing the achievements of the Super Falcons, the Falconets and the Flamingos.

Satisfied that the gains of the present administration deserved continuity, they passed a vote of confidence on Gusau and endorsed him for a second term. They thereafter announced their decision to collectively purchase his nomination form, a gesture that drew applause from delegates.

Joining the chairmen in the endorsement, the NFF Board Member representing the North Central, Rt. Hon. Chief Margaret Icheen, said the position taken in Makurdi reflected the settled view of the zone at both board and association levels. Speaking from her vantage position on the board, she said she had witnessed at close quarters the discipline and stability the President has brought to the federation, adding that the reforms already begun deserved the time to mature. She said the North Central was speaking with one voice and would remain firmly behind Gusau through the election.

Responding on behalf of the NFF President, Chairman of the Sokoto State Football Association, Alhaji Mohammed Nasir Saidu, who accompanied Gusau to Makurdi, accepted the endorsement and the offer to buy the nomination form.

Speaking on behalf of the North West zone where the President hails from, Saidu said the endorsement had reinforced the vote of confidence passed on Gusau by Congress at the federation’s last Annual General Meeting in Bayelsa State. He added that it was further proof that stakeholders across the country appreciated the progress made under the current administration.

Earlier, the Congress of the Benue State Football Association had endorsed Gusau for a second term, citing his commitment to the development of football in the state and across the country.

Members of Congress recalled that Benue was the first state the NFF President visited on official assignment after his election in 2022, and that he has since visited the state on four consecutive official engagements. They noted that his latest visit, coming ahead of the elections, again showed the value he places on the state’s football family.

Receiving the endorsement, Gusau thanked the Benue State FA Congress and his colleagues from the North Central for the confidence reposed in him, describing the gesture as humbling. He said the progress recorded in recent years was the result of collaboration with the NFF Congress, state associations, clubs, players, coaches, referees and government.

He pledged that a second term would be used to expand grassroots development, complete ongoing infrastructure projects, strengthen domestic competitions, invest more in youth and women’s football and deepen transparency in the administration of the game.

“We have laid a solid foundation, but there is still much work ahead. If entrusted with another mandate, we will consolidate on these achievements and continue to build a football system that every Nigerian will be proud of. Your confidence will not be misplaced,” he said.

Also lending his voice to the endorsement, Wada, who joined the meeting virtually from Kogi, aligned himself with the resolutions of his North Central colleagues and affirmed that the zone stood united behind the President.

The meeting ended with stakeholders reaffirming their commitment to unity and the continued growth of football in Benue State and Nigeria.