CAF PRESIDENCY: Banned Adamu goes against Nigeria, says Hayatou is ‘God-sent’

Recently banned former Football administrator and FIFA executive committee member, Amos Adamu, has aired his support for incumbent President Issa Hayatou who is vying for the position the 8th time in the CAF election scheduled to hold this Thursday.

Despite his two-year sanction on all football-related matters at national and international level, Adamu has called on Nigeria to support the Cameroonian who has been in the office since 1988, saying he is “God sent” to the country’s football.

“Issa Hayatou has done a lot of good to Nigerian football, trust me,” The former boss of the National Sports Commission told Complete Sports on Monday.

“When our football was in crisis and FIFA threatened to ban us, who did we run to for help, Hayatou.

“The Nigeria Football Federation should back Hayatou. He is the ‘devil’ we know. It is better for us to support the ‘devil’ we know than the ‘angel’ we don’t know. Hayatou is God sent to Nigeria’s football.

“He has stood by us in difficult moments, so now that he needs our little vote, is it fair that we deny him that support?”

Read Also: Banned Amos Adamu dumps football, guns for priesthood

Hayatou’s Presidency is being contested by Madagascar FA Boss Ahmad Ahmad, whose candidacy the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, has openly endorsed.

Pinnick, who will be the man to cast his vote during the election on behalf of the nation, has been backed by the Federation and the Ministry of Sports to use his discretion to vote the candidate that would serve the interest of the nation.

Pinnick has also publicly declared his support for Ahmad against Hayatou

But Adamu says he does not know Ahmad and cannot give support for his candidacy.

He continued: “I don’t know who Ahmad Ahmad is. All I know about him is that he is said to be from Madagascar. We should not let our sentiments becloud our sense of judgement. If they put Hayatou and Ahmad side-by-side, surely I cannot go for Ahmad.”

Meanwhile, Pinnick will also be challenging his Benin counterpart, Anjorin Moucharafou, for a seat in the CAF Executive Committee; but Adamu will not back any of the candidate.

“No comment on the election for that post. Let the winner from that one emerge before I will have something to say,” Adamu responded.

The elections will hold on Thursday, March 16 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

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