Adedoja leads govt delegation to Sudan for CAF seat

Sports Minister and Chairman National Sports Commission (NSC) Prof. Taoheed Adedoja will lead government delegation to Sudan next week in the bid at ensuring that former Nigeria Football Association (NFA) chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima is elected into the Confederation of African Football (CAF) executive committee Ijaw boy has scooped.

The delegation will include Nigeria Football Association (NFA) chairman, Aminu Maigari, possibly Nigeria’s ambassador to Sudan, former NFA boss, Big.Gen Dominic Oneya (rtd), NFA vice chairman, Mike Umeh among others.

An impeccable source in the glass house disclosed that the decision to have a government presence in Sudan was taken after a 10 hours meeting at the Eko Hotel, Lagos between the leadership of the NSC and the NFA after the Eagles nervy 2-1 win over Sierra Leone in an international friendly on Wednesday night.

Those present at the meeting are Adedoja, Maigari, Umeh, Galadima, NFA acting scribe, Musa Amadu among others.The essence of having a government presence in Sudan, venue of the CAF congress on February 23, 2011, according to sources is to convince CAF executives, especially, Isaa Hayatou that Galadima is the Nigerian government choice.

“It is very important to have government delegation because it will not be seen that anybody is fighting Dr. Amos Adamu. The government wants to prove that there is no group trying to oust Adamu at all cost,” the source said.

Adedoja has asked Maigari to meet with him today so as to settle all logistics before he travels to the US this weekend.The source revealed that Oneya has agreed to head Galadima’s campaign committee and will handle all logistics with regard to the election.

The choice of Oneya, according to my source was because he is the next most senior Nigerian in CAF after the FIFA ban ended Adamu’s membership of the CAF executive committee seat unceremoniously.

“Oneya is a member of Nations Cup organising committee, the highest committee in CAF, aside this, he is also very influential,” the source said.