A dictionary defines revolution “as attempt by a large number of people, to change the government of a country, especially by violent action” and another definition says “a great change in conditions, ways of working, beliefs etc. that affects large numbers of people.” The latter fits my call for revolution in the affairs of the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF.

Since independence in 1960, it is difficult to identify any federal government or NFF administration that met the aspiration of the people of Nigeria. The country is endowed with human and material resources to excel in all endeavours, especially sports and football in particular.

I have before me a long list of past NFF Chairmen from Chief Godfrey Amachree in 1960 to Alhaji Sani Lulu Abdulahi in 2010, but only two regimes, Mr. Sunday Dankaro 1974-80 and Commodore Emeka Omeruah 1993-96 passed my assessment as credible and result-oriented. Majority of others were pathetic failures.

The Federal Government, through the National Sports Commission or the Ministry of Sports, has always had a say in who and who belong to and head the NFF. Up until 1995, such exercises were carried out with brazen crudity, as people were just selected into the various sports associations including football.

I was proud to champion the call for the resuscitation of sports democracy and the then Sole Administrator of the NSC, the late Chief Babashola Rhodes (SAN) heeded the advice and re-introduced election in 1995.

Former Sports Minister and a government nominee, Commodore Emeka Omeruah thus became the first ELECTED Chairman of the NFA, during a military regime, thirty five years after the election of Chief F.A.S Ogunmuyiwa in post-independence Nigeria. The NSC extended similar “election” to other sports, but what has actually been taken place was election by selection.

Omeruah’s successor, Col Abdulmumuni Aminu (Rtd) 1996-99; Anthony Williams 1999-2000 (89days); Brigadier-General Dominic Oneya (Rtd) 2000-02; Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima 2002-06; Alhaji Sani Lulu Abdulahi 2006-10 were all imposed on the NFF as Chairmen by government through the NSC.

Several Board members were government appointees and needless to say all the Secretary Generals were dyed in the wool civil servants, plucked from the Sports Ministry/NSC.

When the Sani Lulu Abdullahi-board was knocked together in 2006 to replace the Alhaji Galadima regime in acrimonious circumstances, with the NSC playing God, some of us knew that the rickety assemblage would not last, as the Board became over-bearingly pompous and threatening everybody with FIFA. To Sani Lulu and his men, the NPL must be destroyed for daring to run a successful league, and sharing the limelight with them.

Meanwhile the national team, the Super Eagles had begun their descent into abyss way back in Ghana 2008 where they gave their worst performance in the African Cup of Nations in 26 years and topped it up with nerve racking performances on their bumpy qualification trail for the 2010 World Cup. Then the calamitous failure in South Africa.

It is obvious we have not been getting it right to assemble a credible and efficient NFF Executive Board. Examine the personalities of the last Board. The President, Sani Lulu Abdullahi emerged from the Federal Capital Territory Sports Council civil service, the first Vice, Amanze Uchegbulam from Imo State Sports Council, and the 2nd Vice, Chief Oyuki Obaseki from the private sector in Edo State, spent the greater part of their regime, quarrelling and hardly on speaking term.

Sani Lulu, Uchegbulam, Taiwo Ogunjobi and Sec. Gen. Bolaji Ojo Oba ran the NFF like a personal fiefdom. No word was too harsh to throw at their critics and at every turn, threatened Nigeria with a FIFA ban.

On apprehending a gang of miscreants, the authorities will turn a few into crown witnesses to spill the bean on their colleagues.

Sani Lulu’s Finance Committee Chairman, Aminu Maigari fitted the role and he led the impeachment that brought Sani Lulu come crashing down. Aminu Maigari and all the Board members should be answerable for all the perceived misdeeds of the Sani Lulu regime, and therefore all of them should go. There is no need to rush into another NFF election fixed for August 21 as there are many grey areas to tackle. Why do we want to elect members to the NFF when no elections take place in the state or local government levels? What kind of democracy is that?

Most of the people in the state F.As are civil servants, ex this ex that, political jobbers and hangers-on, and if there are any in the local government, they are certainly unaccustomed to sports democracy.

There is therefore the need to educate and sensitise all the stakeholders so that they can make effective choice in the three tier elections.

Because of the volatility and popularity of the position of the NFF, whoever becomes the President should be subjected to the rigors of that of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Football has become big business all over the world, and Nigeria cannot be an exception.

We should no longer accord it the rankadede treatment, we should free its leadership from the zoning system, we should bestow it with democratic space to flourish in a free and capitalist environment, as our brothers in South Africa have just done.

Since 1999 Nigeria have been grappling with zoning of our Sports Ministers to one geo-political zone in the Federation, with disastrous consequences. The other five geo-political zones could have produced materials more suitable to man the Sports Ministry, but since it is the policy of the ruling party, the nation rues for it. Federal character, quota system and zoning have no place in sports. They have affected our sports adversely and will continue to do so, until we change. Let us begin with the NFF.

For starters all those who have served in the NFF and didn’t make any impact in the last ten years, should take a breather. Those who served by virtue of being staff of the NSC should realise that the NFF work load is quintessentially higher and more demanding than that of the civil service.

The NFF could do with the proven sports administrators who have distinguished themselves over the years in their states at national sports festivals. The NFF could do with ex international footballers with administrative skill, drive and leadership abilities. The NFF could do with academics inclined to sports, company executives and high net worth corporate players.

Danny Jordan, the CEO of South Africa 2010 is not limited to South Africa, there are many of such super achievers in Nigeria, all they need is to be challenged. This is the time for Nigeria to beckon on them and save our football from rotting in the gutter. My prayer is that all those who contributed to the present state of our football will be forgiven by the Almighty God, and whosoever makes any attempt to perpetuate the chaos will live to regret it.

By the time the election date draws near, the coast will become clearer as we shall x-ray the qualifications, achievements, potential, track records of each aspirant.

If possible we shall ask for televised debate among the aspirants.

Let us revolutionise the NFF so that Nigeria will no longer suffer from poor performances at international football.

To buttress my call for state election, let me refer to a publication in Complete Sports July 22 titled Akanni: “States Election Must Hold First”. The ex international and former Chairman, Lagos F.A. Waidi Akanni said “as someone who knows how things work within the rank of the states F.A. Chairmen, and taking into cognizance the fact that he was part and parcel of them until recently, it is a matter of must that the states elections precede that of the NFF if level playing ground and credibility must be ensured.

“Let me tell you another factual thing, another reason why the change in some states FA is necessary is because until now, all the states F.A. Chairmen used to vote in block, which means that they would have agreed on who and who they will massively give their votes to and in that case, it is always difficult for winners to emerge based on merit”.

So readers, you can see how some Nigerians have bastardised voting in the past, and are poised to repeat it.