The Spiritual Leader, INRI Evangelical Church, Lagos, Primate Ayodele Elijah, has asked the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Amaju Pinnick, not to bid for a second term in the forthcoming federation election.
According to Dailypost, He also said Nigeria’s ouster from the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Russia could have been avoided if the leadership of the football federation had a listening ear.
According to him, he had warned NFF before the World Cup in Russia against letting Mikel Obi captain the Super Eagles at the soccer fiesta; saying that the Anambra-born midfielder lacked the luck to win Nigeria any meaningful trophy.
Speaking with journalists at the church secretariat Friday, Primate Elijah said: “When you have a leadership that arrogates power and knowledge to itself and does not take any advice, even when such advice is in good faith, the end result is predictable.
“For those who had ears to listen when last I spoke, the Eagles ouster didn’t come as a surprise.
“I warned that if Mikel Obi led the team as captain, they would not go past the first round. Mikel does not have the aura and luck that could win the country anything meaningful. But they did not listen.”
Speaking further, the church leader advised Amaju Pinnick not to stand for a second term because should he return as NFF President, his election would spell doom for Nigeria football.
“Should he lead the NFF again in the new dispensation, the Super Eagles will witness a downward progression in their rating and will become the weakest team in the continent.
“I don’t know Pinnick or Mikel and there is nothing personal in all I am saying. I am not the kind of Pastor who works for money. I say it as it is and whatever I say is what God has revealed to me,” he concluded.
