Indications emerged between Thursday night and Friday morning that the September 30 election of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) was submerged in vote-buying.
The various presidential aspirants, especially two top contenders were busy wooing football delegates with dollars in Benin, Edo state, venue of the election, Blueprint reports.
The two main rivals – one from the North and the other from the Southern part of Nigeria were locked in “a brutal Dollar fight” that has left the camp of other aspirants decimated and in total confusion.
An inside source told Blueprint that the Northern candidate took most observers by surprise when he started doling out $10,000 per delegate and he also insisted on doing so by personally handing over the raw cash to the voters.
The Southern candidate reportedly got the financial support of his State Government, but not the blessings of the out-going NFF President, Amaju Pinnick.
Sworn allegiances and alliances were thrown into the dustbin as delegates scrambled for raw cash inside the hotels where they lodged.
Vote-buying which first gained currency at the 2014 NFF election in Warri, Delta state, continued unchecked at the 2018 polls.
The trend seem to have swelled with time and has come to stay, meaning that the NFF Presidency will continuously be for the highest spender.
In recent times, vote-buying trend has characterised Nigeria administrative system – both in Politics and Sports.
It only remains to be seen when and how the country’s relevant government agencies will step up and curb it
