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Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has dismissed reports claiming he is interested in becoming chairman of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) now referred to as the Nigeria Football Fedration (NFF). He described the stories as “fake news” spread by unknown blogs.
In a post on his verified X page on Thursday, Mr Fani-Kayode said he has never shown interest in football or its leadership and asked the public to ignore the rumours.
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“It has been brought to my attention that fake qoutes are being attributed to me by various unknown blogs claiming that I have an interest in being Chairman of the NFA and that I have now decided to step down from the race to support someone else,” he wrote.
“This is all fake news. I know nothing about the NFA, I have no interest in the NFA or who leads it, I have no interest in football and thankfully I have not been approached or nominated for such a position by anyone and if I had I would have respectfully declined.
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“I am not a footballer and I could not care less who the NFA Chairman is or will be.
“The whole thing is deeply insulting and I urge the 419 and criminal blogs that are attributing these quotes to me and coming up with such fake stories to desist from doing so and leave me out of their mess.
“I also urge members of the public to ignore their rubbish. It is good old fashioned fake news and as it is with all fake news they have a hidden agenda.
“Any quote or story that does not emanate from my website (femifanikayode.org), my verified X handle (@realffk) or my verified Facebook and Instagram pages is not from me.
“Anything outside of these platforms are FAKE and I urge members of the public to read such reports with caution.”
Mr Fani-Kayode, who once served as Minister of Culture and Tourism and later as Minister of Aviation is known for his political commentary and legal background. He has not been involved in sports administration at any point in his career.
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Critical period
The denial comes at a time when the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the body in charge of football in the country, is under heavy criticism.
The Super Eagles are struggling in their bid to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, raising questions about the state of football leadership in Nigeria.
The current president of the NFF is Ibrahim Gusau, who won the election to lead the federation three years ago. He is serving a four-year term, which can be renewed. His tenure has been marked by challenges, including governance issues and growing pressure as the national team’s World Cup hopes hang in the balance.
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