Former Nigerian international, Segun Odegbami has attributed the failure of his bid to become next FIFA president to inadequate support from Nigeria and the Nigeria Football Federation in particular.
The ‘Mathematical’ Odegbami also blamed ex-FIFA executive committee member Amos Adamu and rival Orji Uzor Kalu for his failure not to get the backing of other African countries in his quest to be elected new FIFA boss.
The former Eagles skipper said his bitter and turbulent experience to rule the world soccer governing body is better rested at the altar of history.
The former chairman, National Institute for Sports (NIS) is Nigeria’s candidate for the world football body presidential election but his name was conspicuously missing at Monday, October 26 deadline for submission of nomination form.
Odegbami said his quest to vie for the coveted position of FIFA topmost position was doomed to fail from start as the lofty intention was treated with a lot of disbelief by all and sundry.
Former Abia State Governor Kalu was linked with the FIFA presidential race, but he did not submit any documentation for his candidacy to the NFF despite the open support given him by Adamu, who is now being investigated by the FIFA ethics committee,
“I think it’s rather helpful to leave everything that happened to history as recounting the experience is quite hurtful.
“I don’t want to say that the process was sabotaged from the word go but that’s the truth staring us on our faces.
“At 2.00pm (14 hours) yesterday (Monday) I got an email requesting nomination sent to FIFA and copied to me.
“That’s the first document I needed to seek endorsement from other five countries and I got that vital document exactly 2.00pm.
“Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president, Amaju Pinnick was in Cairo, Egypt where some big heads of CAF were meeting and he promised to use his weight to get the required five endorsements.
“However, I was not in Cairo but information filtered in that some Nigerians were determined to stop Pinnick from getting the endorsements as they insisted that somebody else has been endorsed.
“Eventually, Pinnink could not get the five endorsements but I think the federation did not want to do it from start anyway.
“I think the Nigerian government must call for enquiry into the circumstance surrounding the whole episode because I believe we just wasted a rare opportunity for a Nigerian to take a shot at the FIFA presidency.
“Where were Amos Adamu and (Orji) Kalu yesterday (Monday)? It’s a Nigerian thing to bring down others,” said Odegbami on a radio interview yesterday.
“Well, I have done my own bit and it is left for others to do theirs.”
He said further: “I just read somewhere that Orji Uzor Kalu said he never filled any form, indicated interest, requested or wrote to contest for the Fifa presidency so I ask where is the controversy.
“I think the whole exercise is all about bad blood, I did it nobody asked me to do it, that’s come out and contest for the FIFA presidency.
“It just occurred to me that throughout the whole exercise nobody knew what the rules say about vying for the office of FIFA president which is not more than get five endorsements and your federation’s backing.
“I’m sure government must be taken aback by the turn of event as they were the one that forced the NFF to make the pronouncement backing my candidature but then NFF never released the required document on time.
“I think my candidature was shrouded in disbelief, why him, he cannot win, he is wasting our time, among other insinuations.
“But with the later disqualification of some key FIFA men people started to react differently by showing faint support but why not provide me with the nomination forms.
“How can I be looking for five endorsements in three hours to the deadline, I played my part, I started it, I wrote, I declared my intention, Nigeria did not support me rather I’m frustrated all the way.
“It’s a good experience, I have created the psychological platform for any Nigerian to aspire for the highest office in the land so I’m satisfied with what I have done.
“Right now it’s over for me, it’s a personal thing, I started the race though needed to walk on the Nigerian path, Nigeria did not start the race for me or anybody’s I took full responsibility for everything,” said Odegbami to supersport.com.
The eight candidates who met the deadline for next February presidential polls are Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, Michel Platini, Jerome Champagne, David Nakhid, Tokyo Sexwale, Shaikh Salman Bin Brahim Al Khalifa, Gianni Infantino and Musa Bility.
