?Former Chairman of the Sokoto State Football Association, Dr. Danladi Bako , has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for facilitating a peaceful and rancour-free leadership transition within Nigerian football following the resignation of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Ibrahim Musa Gusau.
?In a press statement released on Thursday, Bako praised the President’s handling of the crisis and welcomed his directive for a structural overhaul of the country’s football ecosystem.
?’In his usual, reliable manner characteristic of a father and leader, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has in a very mature and discreet way ensured a peaceful and rancor-free transition,’ Bako said. ‘Without overt control, he ensured that there is now a ‘Renewed Hope’ for football in the country.’
?Bako noted that the President’s directives for enduring reforms would ensure proper development across grassroots football, age-group teams, and the senior national squads.
?Following the leadership exit, the veteran broadcaster outlined key steps for the transition, calling for the immediate dissolution of the remaining Executive Board in line with NFF statutes and the establishment of an independent Normalization Committee to conduct fresh elections within three months.
?Bako also urged the interim body to address long-standing legal questions surrounding the federation’s nomenclature, referencing a 2010 Federal High Court judgment by Justice Donatus Okorowo that nullified the name ‘Federation’ in favor of the original ‘Association,’ and advised consulting the Attorney-General of the Federation on the proper legal path.
?Warning against administrative stagnation, Bako cautioned the National Sports Commission against recycling past administrators into the reform process.
?’We cannot go back to install people who ruined the last 12 years of our football into a reform committee,’ he said.